Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gostivar and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $837 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$837

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gostivar and in Skopje

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 Skopje actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $837 in Gostivar versus $1,112 in Skopje.

Gostivar $837
Skopje $1,112

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,265 in Gostivar versus $1,657 in Skopje.

Gostivar $1,265
Skopje $1,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,693 in Gostivar versus $2,202 in Skopje.

Gostivar $1,693
Skopje $2,202

Living in Gostivar costs roughly 25% less than in Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gostivar 38% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 MKD 361

$9.68 MKD 532

-32.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.78 MKD 1,528

$34.35 MKD 1,889

-19.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 MKD 322

$6.52 MKD 359

-10.28%

Cappuccino

$1.38 MKD 76.0

$2.14 MKD 118

-35.51%

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

$1.32 MKD 72.7

$1.81 MKD 99.6

-27.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.6

$1.38 MKD 75.9

-23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$2.68 MKD 147

-51.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 MKD 102

$3.03 MKD 167

-38.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 MKD 68.1

$1.28 MKD 70.2

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MKD 38.81

$0.74 MKD 40.78

-4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.4

$1.85 MKD 102

-22.70%

Eggs

$2.37 MKD 130

$2.50 MKD 137

-5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 MKD 346

$8.11 MKD 446

-22.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 MKD 305

$7.36 MKD 405

-24.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 MKD 786

$15.00 MKD 825

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.5

$1.43 MKD 78.5

-1.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.4

$1.41 MKD 77.3

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 72.8

$1.31 MKD 72.3

0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 102

$1.86 MKD 103

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.51

$0.88 MKD 48.32

-5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MKD 41.35

$0.78 MKD 42.75

-3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.49

$0.63 MKD 34.65

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MKD 29.49

$0.59 MKD 32.34

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 MKD 154

$3.36 MKD 185

-16.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.44 MKD 244

$7.48 MKD 411

-40.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MKD 51.7

$1.06 MKD 58.4

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MKD 79.0

$1.50 MKD 82.3

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 39.02

$0.71 MKD 38.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.74 MKD 1,416

$25.73 MKD 1,415

0.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MKD 41.47

$1.08 MKD 59.2

-30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 MKD 17.00

$0.57 MKD 31.62

-45.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 MKD 427

$7.50 MKD 413

3.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MKD 78.2

$1.59 MKD 87.5

-10.69%

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

$32.4K MKD 1.8M

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-5.42%

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

$26.6K MKD 1.5M

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

2.05%

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

$129 MKD 7,092

$158 MKD 8,710

-18.57%

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

$10.81 MKD 595

$18.80 MKD 1,034

-42.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 MKD 1,029

$19.20 MKD 1,056

-2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.69 MKD 1,193

$37.03 MKD 2,037

-41.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 MKD 890

$17.35 MKD 954

-6.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 MKD 390

$7.44 MKD 409

-4.70%

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

$368 MKD 20.2K

$369 MKD 20.3K

-0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,800 MKD 319.0K

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

2.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.82 MKD 2,025

$85.6 MKD 4,707

-56.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 MKD 2,039

$36.99 MKD 2,035

0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,550

$101 MKD 5,582

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,181

$112 MKD 6,176

0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 MKD 14.9K

$394 MKD 21.6K

-31.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MKD 10.6K

$314 MKD 17.2K

-38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 MKD 27.3K

$715 MKD 39.3K

-30.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 MKD 16.3K

$483 MKD 26.6K

-38.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,515 MKD 83.3K

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

-44.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MKD 64.1K

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

-36.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$880 MKD 48.4K

$876 MKD 48.2K

0.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

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

Last update for Gostivar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gostivar

$193 23%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 62.8% $121

Groceries & Markets

Gostivar

$184 21.9%

Skopje

$211 19% 14.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gostivar

$158 18.9%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 23.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Gostivar

$129 15.4%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 17.1% $22

Eating Out

Gostivar

$106 12.7%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 45.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Gostivar

$36 4.3%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 44.7% $16

Getting Around

Gostivar

$31 3.7%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 5.3% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Gostivar and $394 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Gostivar vs $34 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $211 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

Same time as Gostivar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Gostivar Skopje 49 km

From you

Gostivar
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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 Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Skopje. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,256 in Gostivar and $1,667 in Skopje to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $271 in Gostivar versus $394 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Skopje. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $837 per month in Gostivar versus $1,112 in Skopje – Gostivar is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Gostivar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.