Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $919 in Irkutsk versus $1,168 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Irkutsk versus $1,738 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,968 in Irkutsk versus $2,308 in Skopje.

Living in Irkutsk costs roughly 21% less than in Skopje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Irkutsk 33% lower, Skopje 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 ₽498

$9.46 MKD 499

-39.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.13 ₽2,529

$33.97 MKD 1,794

-14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 ₽512

$6.73 MKD 355

-12.33%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ₽245

$2.13 MKD 113

32.39%

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

$1.50 ₽130

$1.88 MKD 99.2

-20.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₽51.7

$1.30 MKD 68.7

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₽154

$2.77 MKD 146

-36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₽304

$3.15 MKD 166

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₽111

$1.29 MKD 68.2

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₽47.84

$0.82 MKD 43.17

-32.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ₽135

$1.90 MKD 100

-17.89%

Eggs

$1.82 ₽158

$2.47 MKD 130

-26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 ₽1,211

$8.81 MKD 465

58.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ₽541

$7.56 MKD 399

-17.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.01 ₽956

$15.11 MKD 798

-27.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ₽232

$1.48 MKD 78.1

80.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ₽180

$1.50 MKD 79.1

38.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 ₽231

$1.38 MKD 72.8

93.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₽345

$2.06 MKD 109

93.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ₽77.3

$0.88 MKD 46.34

1.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ₽61.2

$0.84 MKD 44.27

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 ₽195

$0.65 MKD 34.20

246.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽62.1

$0.58 MKD 30.83

22.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₽266

$3.66 MKD 194

-16.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₽665

$7.47 MKD 395

2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₽81.2

$1.04 MKD 55.2

-10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₽213

$1.58 MKD 83.5

55.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₽43.45

$0.78 MKD 41.31

-35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.78 ₽1,196

$27.82 MKD 1,469

-50.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₽148

$1.12 MKD 59.1

51.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₽52.7

$0.67 MKD 35.51

-8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 ₽640

$7.89 MKD 417

-6.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₽69.8

$1.62 MKD 85.4

-50.62%

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

$20.4K ₽1.8M

$37.5K MKD 2.0M

-45.54%

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

$30.8K ₽2.7M

$28.0K MKD 1.5M

10.04%

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

$74.6 ₽6,475

$166 MKD 8,742

-54.94%

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

$6.36 ₽552

$19.14 MKD 1,011

-66.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.15 ₽1,055

$19.69 MKD 1,040

-38.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 ₽3,574

$38.57 MKD 2,037

6.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.21 ₽1,494

$18.23 MKD 963

-5.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 ₽491

$7.31 MKD 386

-22.57%

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

$173 ₽15.0K

$390 MKD 20.6K

-55.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,150 ₽273.5K

$5,550 MKD 293.1K

-43.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ₽4,648

$89.6 MKD 4,730

-40.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 ₽3,233

$40.15 MKD 2,120

-7.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ₽8,450

$107 MKD 5,675

-9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ₽6,941

$116 MKD 6,147

-31.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ₽33.9K

$445 MKD 23.5K

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 ₽24.8K

$336 MKD 17.8K

-15.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 ₽75.7K

$764 MKD 40.4K

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₽45.4K

$530 MKD 28.0K

-1.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,663 ₽231.2K

$2,710 MKD 143.1K

-1.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,627 ₽141.2K

$1,869 MKD 98.7K

-12.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$684 ₽59.4K

$896 MKD 47.3K

-23.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.33

4.25

496.00%

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

Last update for Irkutsk: August 31, 2026

Last update for Skopje: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Irkutsk and $445 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Irkutsk vs $34.00 in Skopje. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $218, with Skopje cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Irkutsk vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Skopje. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Skopje. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $391 in Irkutsk versus $445 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in Irkutsk versus $390 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Skopje pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $919 in Irkutsk versus $1,168 in Skopje, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irkutsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irkutsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.