Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kocani and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocani: $874 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Kocani
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Kocani Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Kocani

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$874

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $874 in Kocani versus $1,112 in Skopje.

Kocani $874
Skopje $1,112

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Kocani versus $1,657 in Skopje.

Kocani $1,333
Skopje $1,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,793 in Kocani versus $2,202 in Skopje.

Kocani $1,793
Skopje $2,202

Living in Kocani costs roughly 21% less than in Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kocani 36% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 MKD 539

$9.68 MKD 529

1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.31 MKD 1,876

$34.35 MKD 1,878

-0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 MKD 361

$6.52 MKD 357

1.07%

Cappuccino

$1.11 MKD 60.5

$2.14 MKD 117

-48.13%

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

$1.49 MKD 81.2

$1.81 MKD 99.0

-17.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MKD 60.9

$1.38 MKD 75.5

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 147

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$3.03 MKD 166

2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 MKD 64.7

$1.28 MKD 69.8

-7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 MKD 31.63

$0.74 MKD 40.55

-21.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MKD 88.7

$1.85 MKD 101

-12.43%

Eggs

$1.76 MKD 96.1

$2.50 MKD 137

-29.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.53 MKD 357

$8.11 MKD 444

-19.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MKD 238

$7.36 MKD 402

-40.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 MKD 438

$15.00 MKD 820

-46.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 MKD 68.7

$1.43 MKD 78.1

-11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.0

$1.41 MKD 76.8

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MKD 68.3

$1.31 MKD 71.9

-4.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 MKD 102

$1.86 MKD 102

0.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MKD 41.32

$0.88 MKD 48.04

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.61

$0.78 MKD 42.50

6.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MKD 31.31

$0.63 MKD 34.45

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MKD 25.39

$0.59 MKD 32.16

-22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 MKD 193

$3.36 MKD 184

4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.74 MKD 205

$7.48 MKD 409

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MKD 43.90

$1.06 MKD 58.1

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.4

$1.50 MKD 81.8

-28.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 MKD 76.3

$0.71 MKD 38.61

95.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.31 MKD 1,275

$25.73 MKD 1,407

-9.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 61.3

$1.08 MKD 58.8

3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.80

$0.57 MKD 31.43

8.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MKD 169

$7.50 MKD 410

-58.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MKD 77.1

$1.59 MKD 86.9

-11.32%

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

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-1.41%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

0.03%

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

$156 MKD 8,526

$158 MKD 8,659

-1.53%

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

$17.57 MKD 961

$18.80 MKD 1,028

-6.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.57 MKD 796

$19.20 MKD 1,050

-24.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.05 MKD 878

$37.03 MKD 2,025

-56.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.51 MKD 957

$17.35 MKD 949

0.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 MKD 398

$7.44 MKD 407

-2.28%

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

$371 MKD 20.3K

$369 MKD 20.2K

0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,705 MKD 311.9K

$5,668 MKD 310.0K

0.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 MKD 3,433

$85.6 MKD 4,679

-26.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.53 MKD 2,052

$36.99 MKD 2,023

1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 MKD 5,027

$101 MKD 5,549

-9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MKD 5,544

$112 MKD 6,140

-9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 MKD 15.0K

$394 MKD 21.5K

-30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MKD 10.8K

$314 MKD 17.1K

-37.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 MKD 30.5K

$715 MKD 39.1K

-21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 MKD 18.1K

$483 MKD 26.4K

-31.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,693 MKD 92.5K

$2,745 MKD 150.1K

-38.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,001 MKD 54.7K

$1,844 MKD 100.8K

-45.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 MKD 24.9K

$876 MKD 47.9K

-47.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

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

Last update for Kocani: October 25, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kocani

$197 22.6%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 59.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kocani

$188 21.5%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 4.4% $8.3

Groceries & Markets

Kocani

$151 17.3%

Skopje

$211 19% 39.6% $60

Eating Out

Kocani

$142 16.2%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 9.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Kocani

$132 15.1%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 14.5% $19

Getting Around

Kocani

$33 3.8%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 1.8% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Kocani

$31 3.5%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 69.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Kocani and $394 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 92% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Kocani vs $34 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $211 per month, with Kocani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Kocani

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

Same time as Kocani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,000

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kocani Skopje 81 km

From you

Kocani
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

Kocani vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $874 in Kocani and $1,112 in Skopje, so Kocani is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Kocani. 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: $274 in Kocani versus $394 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $371 in Kocani versus $369 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Kocani runs roughly 9% less than in Skopje. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Kocani wins on affordability, Skopje on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.