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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,156 per month in Iasi vs $1,087 in Skopje, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,753 per month in Iasi vs $1,634 in Skopje, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,350 per month in Iasi vs $2,180 in Skopje, rent included.

Iasi costs about 6% more than Skopje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Iasi and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 13% lower, Skopje 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 RON 47.66

$7.58 MKD 407

37.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 RON 236

$33.45 MKD 1,794

54.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 RON 32.64

$6.70 MKD 359

6.27%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.08

$2.27 MKD 122

15.86%

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

$2.11 RON 9.67

$2.03 MKD 109

3.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.85

$1.29 MKD 69.2

32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.34

$2.66 MKD 143

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.41

$3.35 MKD 180

0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.55

$1.29 MKD 69.4

10.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.58

$0.76 MKD 40.80

60.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 RON 8.65

$1.67 MKD 89.6

13.17%

Eggs

$3.09 RON 14.15

$2.21 MKD 119

39.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 RON 37.26

$9.13 MKD 490

-11.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.76

$7.78 MKD 417

-10.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.88 RON 49.90

$13.71 MKD 735

-20.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.65

$1.06 MKD 57.1

16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.13

$1.43 MKD 76.8

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.85

$1.35 MKD 72.5

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 RON 8.79

$2.17 MKD 116

-11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.30

$0.89 MKD 47.75

5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.60

$0.90 MKD 48.45

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$0.69 MKD 36.92

44.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.94

$0.55 MKD 29.70

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 RON 28.78

$3.18 MKD 170

97.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.39 RON 29.29

$7.26 MKD 389

-11.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 5.04

$1.07 MKD 57.2

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 RON 8.82

$1.52 MKD 81.5

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 RON 3.64

$0.76 MKD 40.94

3.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.96 RON 128

$28.58 MKD 1,533

-2.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.30

$0.96 MKD 51.6

-2.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 RON 3.26

$0.48 MKD 26.01

47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 RON 37.33

$7.41 MKD 397

9.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.70

$1.49 MKD 79.7

12.75%

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

$28.5K RON 130.8K

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

-15.27%

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

$27.7K RON 127.1K

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

-5.29%

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

$157 RON 718

$160 MKD 8,574

-2.08%

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

$8.51 RON 39.04

$18.05 MKD 968

-52.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.26 RON 47.05

$19.13 MKD 1,026

-46.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 RON 217

$38.66 MKD 2,074

22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 RON 84.8

$17.36 MKD 931

6.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 RON 36.71

$6.62 MKD 355

20.85%

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

$471 RON 2,158

$320 MKD 17.2K

46.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,866 RON 31.5K

$4,642 MKD 249.0K

47.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 RON 280

$77.5 MKD 4,157

-21.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.56 RON 200

$40.16 MKD 2,154

8.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 RON 398

$100 MKD 5,364

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 RON 401

$110 MKD 5,913

-20.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 RON 2,170

$425 MKD 22.8K

11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 RON 1,647

$310 MKD 16.6K

15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 RON 3,402

$645 MKD 34.6K

14.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 RON 2,446

$463 MKD 24.8K

15.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 RON 13.4K

$2,731 MKD 146.5K

6.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,932 RON 8,861

$1,740 MKD 93.3K

11.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,182 RON 5,421

$886 MKD 47.5K

33.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.37

4.54

62.33%

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

Last update for Iasi: July 11, 2026

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $473 in Iasi versus $425 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 33% 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 $52.0 in Iasi versus $33.00 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $210 – 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: $1,156 in Iasi, $1,087 in Skopje – roughly 6% apart. Iasi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,734 per month in Iasi and $1,631 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 2% less in Skopje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $471 per month in Iasi and $320 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 $1,087, than in Iasi at $1,156. 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 $1,087 in Skopje to $1,156 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.