Cost of Living Comparison Between China and North Macedonia Cost of Living Comparison Between China and North Macedonia

Name: North Macedonia
Address: MK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in China versus $904 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in China versus $1,357 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,575 in China versus $1,810 in North Macedonia.

Living in China costs about 20% less than in North Macedonia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, North Macedonia 33% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $473 to $1,233, compared to $750–$1,148 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ¥19.41

$7.60 MKD 407

-61.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.48 ¥150

$29.01 MKD 1,554

-22.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.31

$5.75 MKD 308

-8.17%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.88

$1.74 MKD 93.1

70.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥3.18

$1.67 MKD 89.4

-71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$1.21 MKD 64.7

-75.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$2.22 MKD 119

-53.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.90

$2.76 MKD 148

-19.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$1.28 MKD 68.8

42.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 ¥11.47

$0.71 MKD 37.87

140.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.23

$1.58 MKD 84.8

-41.14%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.56

$2.32 MKD 124

-31.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.41 ¥89.7

$8.29 MKD 444

61.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ¥23.06

$6.71 MKD 360

-48.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ¥75.8

$12.65 MKD 678

-10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.51

$1.24 MKD 66.2

50.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.65

$1.48 MKD 79.4

-12.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.90

$1.33 MKD 71.2

11.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.93 MKD 104

-34.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.15

$0.96 MKD 51.3

-19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.95 MKD 51.0

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.28

$0.65 MKD 34.65

-1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.54 MKD 28.76

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.59

$3.45 MKD 185

11.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ¥79.1

$5.54 MKD 297

113.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

$1.08 MKD 57.8

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.89

$1.37 MKD 73.5

18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.78 MKD 41.62

-62.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$27.80 MKD 1,490

-19.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.29 MKD 68.9

17.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.34

$0.73 MKD 39.20

-52.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.20 ¥48.13

$6.94 MKD 372

3.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.48 MKD 79.1

-16.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.4K ¥129.9K

$32.9K MKD 1.8M

-41.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$17.4K ¥116.2K

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

-42.29%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$54.6 ¥365

$145 MKD 7,773

-62.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.66 ¥57.9

$17.58 MKD 942

-50.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.72 ¥71.7

$18.37 MKD 984

-41.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.91 ¥267

$27.69 MKD 1,483

44.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.79 ¥99.0

$14.76 MKD 791

0.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 ¥45.48

$6.66 MKD 357

2.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$451 ¥3,015

$274 MKD 14.7K

64.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K ¥129.1K

$4,802 MKD 257.3K

301.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.42 ¥297

$69.6 MKD 3,730

-36.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 ¥240

$38.70 MKD 2,074

-7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 ¥517

$88.9 MKD 4,762

-13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 ¥531

$103 MKD 5,525

-23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ¥2,631

$313 MKD 16.8K

25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,573

$251 MKD 13.5K

-6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,552

$548 MKD 29.4K

51.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥3,084

$377 MKD 20.2K

22.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,575 ¥30.6K

$1,886 MKD 101.1K

142.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,378 ¥15.9K

$1,356 MKD 72.6K

75.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,086 ¥7,268

$759 MKD 40.7K

43.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

4.69

-26.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for China: September 20, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: September 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $280 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $958 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $432 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $868 in China, $658 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5% higher in China.

Dining out costs 33% more in North Macedonia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in North Macedonia.

Salaries are 32% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

China vs North Macedonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $853 per month in China and $949 in North Macedonia, there's a 11% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in North Macedonia is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in North Macedonia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; North Macedonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.