Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,131 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
Learn more

Skopje Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,131 in Skopje, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Skopje $1,131

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,675 in Skopje, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Skopje $1,675

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,220 in Skopje, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Skopje $2,220

Istanbul costs about 35% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Skopje is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$9.58 MKD 525

24.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$34.25 MKD 1,877

60.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$6.45 MKD 353

41.71%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.14 MKD 117

98.13%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.81 MKD 98.9

-3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.31 MKD 71.9

-58.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.71 MKD 149

73.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.11 MKD 171

91.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.29 MKD 70.4

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.74 MKD 40.67

28.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.84 MKD 101

25.54%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.52 MKD 138

-1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$7.89 MKD 433

33.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$7.57 MKD 415

-26.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$15.00 MKD 822

41.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.48 MKD 81.0

30.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.45 MKD 79.6

57.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.34 MKD 73.4

-4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.95 MKD 107

-5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.90 MKD 49.33

-25.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.85 MKD 46.40

-30.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.64 MKD 34.81

107.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.55 MKD 30.01

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.52 MKD 193

-32.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.06 MKD 387

90.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.06 MKD 58.1

128.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.44 MKD 79.2

145.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.75 MKD 41.26

10.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$27.74 MKD 1,520

139.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.11 MKD 60.8

21.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.62 MKD 33.87

37.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$7.71 MKD 422

40.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.62 MKD 88.5

-9.26%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

47.77%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

60.43%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$153 MKD 8,410

-41.86%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$18.75 MKD 1,027

-38.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$19.33 MKD 1,059

-16.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$38.53 MKD 2,111

100.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$17.65 MKD 967

28.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$7.15 MKD 392

16.64%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$358 MKD 19.6K

172.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,690 MKD 311.8K

352.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$84.1 MKD 4,610

-37.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$37.22 MKD 2,040

5.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$103 MKD 5,620

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$112 MKD 6,136

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$416 MKD 22.8K

139.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$327 MKD 17.9K

92.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$731 MKD 40.1K

176.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$497 MKD 27.2K

132.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$2,702 MKD 148.1K

16.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,807 MKD 99.0K

1.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$877 MKD 48.1K

37.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.23

871.39%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Skopje

$327 29.1% 48.1% $303

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Skopje

$211 18.8% 20% $53

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Skopje

$154 13.7% 29.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Skopje

$151 13.5% 15.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Skopje

$192 17.1% 63.8% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Skopje

$53 4.7% 43.8% $41

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Skopje

$35 3.1% 53.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $416 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 37% higher in Istanbul, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $34.00 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $211 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Skopje 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Skopje

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

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

Istanbul vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,696 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.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $358 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,131, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skopje – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.