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: $1,796 in Italy versus $924 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $1,377 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $1,830 in North Macedonia.

Living in Italy is roughly 94% more expensive than in North Macedonia on average.

Italy (30% above) and North Macedonia (33% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $785–$1,182 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$7.75 MKD 410

174.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$28.21 MKD 1,490

186.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$5.71 MKD 301

99.82%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$1.75 MKD 92.7

18.86%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$1.74 MKD 91.9

75.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.21 MKD 64.1

14.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$2.25 MKD 119

157.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$2.78 MKD 147

106.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.29 MKD 68.3

31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$0.76 MKD 40.12

217.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.68 MKD 88.8

79.17%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$2.30 MKD 122

87.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$8.56 MKD 452

109.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$6.73 MKD 355

88.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$12.52 MKD 661

64.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.26 MKD 66.6

107.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.43 MKD 75.7

50.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.34 MKD 70.5

108.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$1.89 MKD 100.0

75.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.97 MKD 51.5

116.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.01 MKD 53.6

87.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.67 MKD 35.53

131.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.57 MKD 30.25

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$3.36 MKD 177

113.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$5.79 MKD 306

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.03 MKD 54.4

74.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.42 MKD 75.0

69.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.80 MKD 42.05

141.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$28.57 MKD 1,509

58.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$1.34 MKD 70.9

328.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.75 MKD 39.85

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$7.23 MKD 382

387.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.54 MKD 81.4

32.47%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$35.4K MKD 1.9M

5.90%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$30.2K MKD 1.6M

22.83%

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

$231 €199

$154 MKD 8,157

49.59%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$17.47 MKD 923

-29.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$18.24 MKD 964

70.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$28.09 MKD 1,484

96.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$14.34 MKD 757

73.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$6.53 MKD 345

70.44%

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

$568 €490

$290 MKD 15.3K

95.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$4,485 MKD 237.0K

179.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$72.7 MKD 3,841

27.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$40.44 MKD 2,137

-1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$93.4 MKD 4,935

11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$106 MKD 5,613

27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$311 MKD 16.5K

173.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$247 MKD 13.1K

160.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$551 MKD 29.1K

162.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$370 MKD 19.5K

193.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$1,895 MKD 100.1K

101.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,352 MKD 71.4K

74.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$750 MKD 39.6K

157.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

4.72

-24.36%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $286 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $443 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $664 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 164% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 171% more in Italy.

Public transport is 87% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 196% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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 $1,889 per month in Italy and $984 in North Macedonia, there's a 92% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in North Macedonia: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.