Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Iasi vs $1,168 in Skopje, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,902 per month in Iasi vs $1,738 in Skopje, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,499 per month in Iasi vs $2,308 in Skopje, rent included.

Iasi costs about 12% more than Skopje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Iasi and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 5% lower, Skopje 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 RON 49.88

$9.46 MKD 500

16.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.93 RON 199

$33.97 MKD 1,795

29.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 RON 35.52

$6.73 MKD 356

16.34%

Cappuccino

$2.97 RON 13.48

$2.13 MKD 113

39.44%

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

$2.21 RON 10.02

$1.88 MKD 99.3

17.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RON 8.61

$1.30 MKD 68.8

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 14.84

$2.77 MKD 146

18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 RON 18.57

$3.15 MKD 166

29.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.56

$1.29 MKD 68.2

29.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.47

$0.82 MKD 43.20

74.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 RON 9.75

$1.90 MKD 100

13.16%

Eggs

$3.52 RON 15.97

$2.47 MKD 131

42.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 RON 39.55

$8.81 MKD 466

-1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 RON 29.37

$7.56 MKD 400

-14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 RON 46.63

$15.11 MKD 799

-31.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.36

$1.48 MKD 78.2

-5.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.41

$1.50 MKD 79.2

8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 RON 7.88

$1.38 MKD 72.8

26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 RON 10.25

$2.06 MKD 109

9.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.17

$0.88 MKD 46.38

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.27

$0.84 MKD 44.30

11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 RON 5.25

$0.65 MKD 34.23

78.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.60

$0.58 MKD 30.86

74.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 29.94

$3.66 MKD 194

80.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.60 RON 29.93

$7.47 MKD 395

-11.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.37

$1.04 MKD 55.2

34.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 RON 10.01

$1.58 MKD 83.6

39.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 RON 4.06

$0.78 MKD 41.34

14.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.55 RON 129

$27.82 MKD 1,470

2.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$1.12 MKD 59.2

-24.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 RON 3.81

$0.67 MKD 35.54

25.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.92 RON 40.46

$7.89 MKD 417

13.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.33

$1.62 MKD 85.4

13.58%

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

$30.1K RON 136.4K

$37.5K MKD 2.0M

-19.70%

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

$29.1K RON 132.1K

$28.0K MKD 1.5M

4.18%

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

$192 RON 871

$166 MKD 8,749

15.98%

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

$7.81 RON 35.42

$19.14 MKD 1,011

-59.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.94 RON 40.53

$19.69 MKD 1,041

-54.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.28 RON 210

$38.57 MKD 2,039

19.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 RON 75.4

$18.23 MKD 964

-8.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 RON 41.04

$7.31 MKD 386

23.80%

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

$421 RON 1,911

$390 MKD 20.6K

8.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,347 RON 33.3K

$5,550 MKD 293.3K

32.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 RON 343

$89.6 MKD 4,734

-15.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 RON 184

$40.15 MKD 2,122

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 RON 434

$107 MKD 5,680

-10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 RON 434

$116 MKD 6,151

-17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 RON 2,521

$445 MKD 23.5K

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 RON 1,998

$336 MKD 17.8K

30.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 RON 4,153

$764 MKD 40.4K

19.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 RON 3,166

$530 MKD 28.0K

31.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,963 RON 13.4K

$2,710 MKD 143.2K

9.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,991 RON 9,032

$1,869 MKD 98.8K

6.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,164 RON 5,279

$896 MKD 47.4K

29.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

4.25

68.94%

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

Last update for Iasi: August 29, 2026

Last update for Skopje: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $556 in Iasi versus $445 in Skopje. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Iasi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Iasi versus $34.00 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $218 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Iasi vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Iasi, $1,168 in Skopje – roughly 12% apart. Iasi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Iasi and $1,752 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Skopje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $421 per month in Iasi and $390 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,168, than in Iasi at $1,305. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Skopje has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,168 in Skopje to $1,305 in Iasi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Skopje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.