Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and North Macedonia Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and North Macedonia

Name: North Macedonia
Address: MK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,717 in Italy versus $864 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $1,298 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $1,731 in North Macedonia.

Living in Italy is roughly 99% more expensive than North Macedonia on average.

Italy (28% above) and North Macedonia (36% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $744–$1,112 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$7.69 MKD 405

126.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$28.97 MKD 1,527

174.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$5.60 MKD 295

110.00%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$1.87 MKD 98.8

6.95%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$1.81 MKD 95.6

65.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.25 MKD 65.7

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.20 MKD 116

170.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$2.76 MKD 146

94.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.34 MKD 70.8

22.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.72 MKD 37.94

234.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$1.62 MKD 85.1

84.57%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$2.16 MKD 114

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$8.51 MKD 449

97.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$7.46 MKD 393

66.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$12.43 MKD 655

63.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.01 MKD 53.2

144.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.41 MKD 74.3

52.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.30 MKD 68.6

103.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$2.01 MKD 106

69.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.94 MKD 49.46

104.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.98 MKD 51.8

84.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.66 MKD 34.72

134.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.53 MKD 28.18

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$3.13 MKD 165

116.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$6.41 MKD 338

12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.09 MKD 57.3

65.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.43 MKD 75.5

69.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.77 MKD 40.33

159.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$28.04 MKD 1,478

51.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$1.11 MKD 58.6

435.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.61 MKD 31.96

147.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$7.55 MKD 398

350.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.45 MKD 76.6

41.38%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$34.1K MKD 1.8M

-3.78%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$31.0K MKD 1.6M

8.55%

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

$225 €194

$149 MKD 7,871

50.92%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$17.66 MKD 931

-24.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$18.32 MKD 966

68.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$32.08 MKD 1,691

73.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$14.43 MKD 761

74.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$6.63 MKD 350

54.60%

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

$576 €495

$281 MKD 14.8K

104.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$4,123 MKD 217.3K

153.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$72.1 MKD 3,797

27.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$41.81 MKD 2,203

-2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$95.8 MKD 5,048

2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$113 MKD 5,936

16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$346 MKD 18.2K

148.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$255 MKD 13.4K

161.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$572 MKD 30.1K

157.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$404 MKD 21.3K

169.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$2,029 MKD 106.9K

89.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,387 MKD 73.1K

69.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$768 MKD 40.5K

151.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

4.76

-7.35%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $284 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $429 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $671 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 162% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 185% more in Italy.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 190% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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

Italy vs North Macedonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $928 in North Macedonia, there's a 98% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

North Macedonia is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats North Macedonia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In North Macedonia, $1,500 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. North Macedonia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.