Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gostivar and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $835 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$835

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gostivar and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gostivar and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $835 in Gostivar versus $918 in Cebu.

Gostivar $835
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,262 in Gostivar versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Gostivar $1,262
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,689 in Gostivar versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Gostivar $1,689
Cebu $1,900

Living in Gostivar costs roughly 9% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gostivar 38% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 MKD 341

$3.09 ₱194

102.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.92 MKD 1,468

$24.22 ₱1,525

11.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 MKD 317

$3.92 ₱247

48.21%

Cappuccino

$1.39 MKD 75.9

$2.51 ₱158

-44.62%

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

$1.32 MKD 72.2

$1.59 ₱100

-16.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.1

$0.53 ₱33.43

101.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 MKD 71.5

$1.78 ₱112

-26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 MKD 96.3

$2.17 ₱137

-18.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 70.2

$1.92 ₱121

-32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 MKD 40.84

$1.36 ₱85.4

-44.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 77.3

$1.01 ₱63.5

40.59%

Eggs

$2.46 MKD 134

$2.03 ₱128

21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 MKD 354

$9.86 ₱621

-34.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 MKD 305

$4.39 ₱277

27.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 MKD 783

$7.60 ₱479

88.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$3.30 ₱208

-56.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MKD 75.8

$1.39 ₱87.8

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 73.8

$2.33 ₱147

-42.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MKD 97.1

$1.50 ₱94.3

18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.18

$2.36 ₱149

-64.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MKD 38.06

$1.90 ₱119

-63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 34.74

$1.19 ₱74.9

-46.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MKD 30.92

$0.63 ₱39.71

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 MKD 150

$3.00 ₱189

-8.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 MKD 253

$6.03 ₱379

-23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MKD 47.86

$1.23 ₱77.7

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 MKD 77.1

$1.75 ₱110

-19.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MKD 40.29

$0.25 ₱15.86

196.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.14 MKD 1,153

$12.64 ₱796

67.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MKD 40.97

$0.77 ₱48.62

-2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MKD 18.33

$0.23 ₱14.53

47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 MKD 423

$4.46 ₱281

73.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MKD 78.4

$1.31 ₱82.8

9.92%

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

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

49.95%

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

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

41.50%

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

$129 MKD 7,046

$120 ₱7,569

7.43%

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

$10.75 MKD 586

$14.00 ₱882

-23.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 MKD 1,029

$27.54 ₱1,734

-31.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.76 MKD 1,187

$32.33 ₱2,035

-32.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 MKD 1,022

$6.65 ₱419

181.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 MKD 387

$5.65 ₱356

25.66%

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

$362 MKD 19.7K

$275 ₱17.3K

31.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,736 MKD 312.9K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-27.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.91 MKD 2,014

$49.33 ₱3,106

-25.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.52 MKD 1,992

$25.24 ₱1,589

44.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MKD 5,589

$77.0 ₱4,846

33.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MKD 6,252

$57.2 ₱3,601

100.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 MKD 15.0K

$500 ₱31.5K

-45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 MKD 10.6K

$309 ₱19.4K

-37.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MKD 27.5K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-53.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 MKD 16.3K

$615 ₱38.7K

-51.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,525 MKD 83.2K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-47.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,133 MKD 61.8K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-40.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 MKD 47.1K

$346 ₱21.8K

149.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

7.2

-41.25%

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

Last update for Gostivar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Gostivar

$194 23.2%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 59.4% $115

Groceries & Markets

Gostivar

$186 22.3%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 10.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gostivar

$159 19%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 1.9% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Gostivar

$131 15.7%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 28.1% $37

Eating Out

Gostivar

$104 12.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 15% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Gostivar

$36 4.3%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 21.3% $7.7

Getting Around

Gostivar

$27 3.2%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 41.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Gostivar and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 149% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Gostivar vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $206, with Gostivar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

11:22 11:22 AM

6 h ahead of Gostivar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000

964,169

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gostivar Cebu 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Gostivar
Cebu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Gostivar vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Gostivar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $275 in Gostivar versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $835 per month in Gostivar versus $918 in Cebu – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 67% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Gostivar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Gostivar is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gostivar and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.