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: $1,718 in Italy versus $866 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $1,294 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $1,721 in North Macedonia.

Living in Italy is roughly 98% more expensive than in North Macedonia on average.

Italy (29% above) and North Macedonia (35% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $744–$1,087 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.38

$7.41 MKD 398

137.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.1

$28.89 MKD 1,550

185.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.25

$5.79 MKD 311

102.42%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$1.87 MKD 100

2.67%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$1.79 MKD 96.1

67.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.24 MKD 66.7

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$2.23 MKD 120

158.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$2.79 MKD 150

87.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.35 MKD 72.5

25.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.72 MKD 38.68

223.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$1.62 MKD 87.0

88.27%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$2.17 MKD 117

83.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.59

$8.88 MKD 476

87.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.00

$7.36 MKD 395

70.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.96

$12.46 MKD 668

64.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$1.04 MKD 55.9

146.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$1.47 MKD 79.0

49.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$1.34 MKD 72.1

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$1.99 MKD 107

69.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.94 MKD 50.6

117.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.02 MKD 54.7

84.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.68 MKD 36.48

116.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.56 MKD 30.04

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.12

$3.24 MKD 174

116.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.20

$5.42 MKD 291

30.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.03 MKD 55.4

74.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.46 MKD 78.4

71.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.79 MKD 42.22

148.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.38

$27.86 MKD 1,495

49.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$1.16 MKD 62.0

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.60 MKD 32.26

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.68

$7.59 MKD 407

362.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.53 MKD 82.2

39.22%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

-4.28%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

12.07%

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

$225 €197

$147 MKD 7,888

52.98%

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

$13.14 €11.50

$17.68 MKD 948

-25.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.29

$18.94 MKD 1,016

64.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.0

$31.38 MKD 1,683

82.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.61

$14.06 MKD 754

83.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$6.65 MKD 357

55.49%

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

$564 €493

$287 MKD 15.4K

96.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,047

$4,216 MKD 226.1K

145.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.4

$69.4 MKD 3,721

32.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.47

$42.34 MKD 2,271

-4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €85.9

$94.1 MKD 5,047

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$109 MKD 5,862

20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €748

$351 MKD 18.8K

143.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €580

$263 MKD 14.1K

152.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,332

$575 MKD 30.8K

164.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €953

$395 MKD 21.2K

175.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,278

$1,970 MKD 105.7K

90.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,011

$1,320 MKD 70.8K

74.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,659

$746 MKD 40.0K

154.24%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $283 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $425 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $650 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 100% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 194% 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 $1,822 per month in Italy and $916 in North Macedonia, there's a 99% 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.