Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Skopje

For one person, living costs are similar in Irkutsk and in Skopje: $1,128 and $1,117 a month, rent and utilities included.

55

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
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Irkutsk Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,128

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Irkutsk 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 Irkutsk and in Skopje actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,128 in Irkutsk versus $1,117 in Skopje.

Irkutsk $1,128
Skopje $1,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,660 in Irkutsk versus $1,654 in Skopje.

Irkutsk $1,660
Skopje $1,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Irkutsk versus $2,191 in Skopje.

Irkutsk $2,191
Skopje $2,191

Living in Irkutsk is roughly 1% more expensive than in Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Irkutsk 16% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 ₽766

$9.29 MKD 507

-1.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.26 ₽3,026

$34.04 MKD 1,857

6.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 ₽506

$6.28 MKD 343

-3.34%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ₽259

$2.05 MKD 112

51.22%

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

$1.50 ₽125

$1.84 MKD 101

-18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₽49.01

$1.31 MKD 71.3

-54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ₽196

$2.67 MKD 146

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₽303

$3.11 MKD 170

16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ₽106

$1.22 MKD 66.7

4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₽50.1

$0.74 MKD 40.54

-18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 ₽123

$1.75 MKD 95.5

-16.00%

Eggs

$1.62 ₽135

$2.40 MKD 131

-32.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 ₽970

$8.16 MKD 445

42.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 ₽588

$7.43 MKD 405

-5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 ₽1,036

$14.85 MKD 810

-16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 ₽176

$1.43 MKD 78.1

47.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 ₽164

$1.44 MKD 78.5

36.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ₽136

$1.37 MKD 74.6

19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 ₽287

$1.90 MKD 103

80.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ₽60.8

$0.89 MKD 48.32

-17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₽54.9

$0.84 MKD 46.04

-21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₽122

$0.63 MKD 34.61

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₽57.8

$0.55 MKD 29.98

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₽261

$3.40 MKD 185

-7.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 ₽643

$7.47 MKD 407

3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽84.1

$1.01 MKD 55.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₽168

$1.43 MKD 78.3

40.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ₽51.6

$0.76 MKD 41.68

-18.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.88 ₽1,326

$27.14 MKD 1,480

-41.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ₽97.7

$1.11 MKD 60.3

5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽14.34

$0.61 MKD 33.03

-72.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.61 ₽718

$7.55 MKD 412

14.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽69.8

$1.56 MKD 85.0

-46.15%

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

$28.8K ₽2.4M

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

-17.44%

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

$36.0K ₽3.0M

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

31.58%

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

$120 ₽10.1K

$154 MKD 8,393

-21.71%

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

$5.61 ₽468

$18.77 MKD 1,024

-70.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.44 ₽954

$18.72 MKD 1,021

-38.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.3 ₽5,620

$38.00 MKD 2,073

77.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.52 ₽1,796

$17.14 MKD 935

25.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₽555

$7.24 MKD 395

-8.15%

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

$389 ₽32.5K

$351 MKD 19.1K

10.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,279 ₽273.6K

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

-42.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 ₽6,241

$85.6 MKD 4,671

-12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.65 ₽1,974

$37.04 MKD 2,020

-36.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 ₽8,289

$101 MKD 5,498

-1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₽9,675

$113 MKD 6,150

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₽43.0K

$422 MKD 23.0K

22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₽30.6K

$328 MKD 17.9K

11.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₽65.8K

$721 MKD 39.3K

9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₽40.4K

$487 MKD 26.6K

-0.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,674 ₽223.2K

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

-0.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 ₽151.5K

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

0.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 ₽54.7K

$876 MKD 47.8K

-25.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.57

4.23

480.85%

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

Last update for Irkutsk: October 13, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irkutsk

$366 32.4%

Skopje

$328 29.4% 10.4% $38

Groceries & Markets

Irkutsk

$227 20.1%

Skopje

$210 18.8% 7.5% $17

Eating Out

Irkutsk

$156 13.8%

Skopje

$150 13.4% 4% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Irkutsk

$141 12.5%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 7.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irkutsk

$138 12.2%

Skopje

$191 17.1% 39.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Irkutsk

$81 7.2%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 34.9% $28

Getting Around

Irkutsk

$20 1.8%

Skopje

$34 3.1% 68.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Irkutsk and $422 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Irkutsk vs $34.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $210 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

6 h behind Irkutsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,515

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.06 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.98 RUB (100 RUB = 1.06 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.42 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Irkutsk Skopje 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Irkutsk
Skopje

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Skopje wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Irkutsk. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Skopje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 34% 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: $516 in Irkutsk versus $422 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $389 in Irkutsk versus $351 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Irkutsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,117 in Skopje versus $1,128 in Irkutsk, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Irkutsk. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Skopje delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,117 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Skopje hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Irkutsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.