Cost of Living Comparison Between Gostivar and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Gostivar and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Gostivar versus $1,094 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Gostivar versus $1,636 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,570 in Gostivar versus $2,178 in Skopje.

Living in Gostivar costs roughly 26% less than in Skopje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gostivar 39% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 MKD 277

$7.42 MKD 397

-30.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.38 MKD 1,250

$33.79 MKD 1,806

-30.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MKD 269

$6.65 MKD 355

-24.36%

Cappuccino

$1.44 MKD 76.7

$2.24 MKD 119

-35.71%

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

$1.15 MKD 61.5

$2.04 MKD 109

-43.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MKD 61.7

$1.29 MKD 69.1

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 MKD 72.1

$2.60 MKD 139

-48.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MKD 98.4

$3.43 MKD 183

-46.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MKD 75.2

$1.27 MKD 68.1

11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MKD 35.64

$0.84 MKD 44.80

-20.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MKD 82.3

$1.69 MKD 90.5

-8.88%

Eggs

$2.09 MKD 112

$2.17 MKD 116

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.66 MKD 356

$9.26 MKD 495

-28.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 MKD 310

$8.00 MKD 428

-27.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MKD 720

$13.41 MKD 717

0.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MKD 57.6

$1.02 MKD 54.6

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 76.1

$1.37 MKD 73.0

3.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 MKD 67.2

$1.37 MKD 73.0

-8.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MKD 87.3

$2.08 MKD 111

-21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MKD 52.4

$0.88 MKD 46.92

11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 41.92

$0.97 MKD 51.6

-19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 MKD 28.80

$0.73 MKD 39.00

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MKD 29.94

$0.59 MKD 31.42

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 MKD 148

$3.26 MKD 174

-14.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.71 MKD 252

$7.56 MKD 404

-37.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MKD 48.36

$1.05 MKD 56.3

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 MKD 82.2

$1.55 MKD 82.9

-0.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MKD 33.61

$0.77 MKD 41.13

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.00 MKD 1,069

$28.16 MKD 1,505

-28.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 MKD 49.59

$0.98 MKD 52.3

-5.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MKD 18.79

$0.53 MKD 28.28

-33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 MKD 353

$7.71 MKD 412

-14.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MKD 77.2

$1.47 MKD 78.6

-2.04%

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

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

$34.2K MKD 1.8M

-6.81%

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

$46.2K MKD 2.5M

$29.4K MKD 1.6M

56.73%

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

$132 MKD 7,079

$160 MKD 8,529

-17.01%

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

$11.05 MKD 590

$17.94 MKD 959

-38.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.45 MKD 826

$19.42 MKD 1,038

-20.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.09 MKD 1,394

$38.64 MKD 2,065

-32.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 MKD 959

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 MKD 250

$6.44 MKD 344

-27.48%

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

$218 MKD 11.7K

$312 MKD 16.7K

-30.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,197 MKD 64.0K

$4,479 MKD 239.3K

-73.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.51 MKD 2,004

$76.2 MKD 4,071

-50.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.26 MKD 2,045

$39.60 MKD 2,116

-3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MKD 3,964

$100 MKD 5,358

-26.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 6,093

$111 MKD 5,948

2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 MKD 15.0K

$422 MKD 22.5K

-33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MKD 10.3K

$309 MKD 16.5K

-37.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 MKD 30.4K

$641 MKD 34.3K

-11.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 MKD 16.8K

$467 MKD 25.0K

-32.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 MKD 84.6K

$2,687 MKD 143.6K

-41.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,238 MKD 66.1K

$1,745 MKD 93.3K

-29.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 MKD 47.4K

$882 MKD 47.1K

0.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.54

43.17%

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

Last update for Gostivar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Skopje: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Gostivar and $422 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Gostivar vs $34.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $212 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

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 35% 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.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $280 in Gostivar versus $422 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $813 per month in Gostivar versus $1,094 in Skopje – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 41% less than in Skopje. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $813 in Gostivar versus $1,094 in Skopje, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $813 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.