Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kocani and Sveti Nikole

For one person, living is cheaper in Sveti Nikole: $820 a month against $874 in Kocani, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kocani outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Kocani
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Kocani Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Sveti Nikole
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Sveti Nikole Living Index

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Kocani

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$874

/mo nomad

Sveti Nikole

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kocani and in Sveti Nikole

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 Sveti Nikole actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $874 in Kocani versus $820 in Sveti Nikole.

Kocani $874
Sveti Nikole $820

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Kocani versus $1,290 in Sveti Nikole.

Kocani $1,333
Sveti Nikole $1,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,793 in Kocani versus $1,761 in Sveti Nikole.

Kocani $1,793
Sveti Nikole $1,761

Living in Kocani is roughly 7% more expensive than in Sveti Nikole, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kocani 36% lower, Sveti Nikole 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 MKD 539

$9.28 MKD 507

6.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.31 MKD 1,876

$33.82 MKD 1,849

1.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 MKD 361

$5.13 MKD 280

28.46%

Cappuccino

$1.11 MKD 60.5

$1.67 MKD 91.1

-33.53%

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

$1.49 MKD 81.2

$1.32 MKD 72.1

12.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MKD 60.9

$0.97 MKD 53.1

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 147

$1.51 MKD 82.8

77.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$1.85 MKD 101

68.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 MKD 64.7

$1.35 MKD 73.7

-12.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 MKD 31.63

$0.59 MKD 32.52

-1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MKD 88.7

$1.15 MKD 63.0

40.87%

Eggs

$1.76 MKD 96.1

$2.48 MKD 135

-29.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.53 MKD 357

$8.93 MKD 488

-26.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MKD 238

$4.51 MKD 247

-3.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 MKD 438

$11.72 MKD 641

-31.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 MKD 68.7

$1.34 MKD 73.3

-5.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.0

$1.29 MKD 70.4

9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MKD 68.3

$1.26 MKD 68.8

-0.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 MKD 102

$1.70 MKD 93.0

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MKD 41.32

$0.74 MKD 40.70

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.61

$1.16 MKD 63.2

-28.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MKD 31.31

$0.79 MKD 43.13

-27.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MKD 25.39

$0.40 MKD 21.82

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 MKD 193

$3.05 MKD 167

15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.74 MKD 205

$6.26 MKD 342

-40.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MKD 43.90

$0.97 MKD 53.3

-17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.4

$1.47 MKD 80.6

-27.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 MKD 76.3

$0.74 MKD 40.67

87.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.31 MKD 1,275

$23.52 MKD 1,286

-0.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 61.3

$1.43 MKD 78.3

-21.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.80

$0.97 MKD 53.1

-36.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MKD 169

$3.59 MKD 196

-13.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MKD 77.1

$1.42 MKD 77.4

-0.70%

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

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

$37.1K MKD 2.0M

-8.88%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$26.2K MKD 1.4M

-0.59%

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

$156 MKD 8,526

$127 MKD 6,957

22.56%

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

$17.57 MKD 961

$15.16 MKD 829

15.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.57 MKD 796

$11.68 MKD 639

24.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.05 MKD 878

$22.39 MKD 1,224

-28.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.51 MKD 957

$19.72 MKD 1,078

-11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 MKD 398

$4.93 MKD 270

47.46%

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

$371 MKD 20.3K

$285 MKD 15.6K

30.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,705 MKD 311.9K

$2,993 MKD 163.7K

90.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 MKD 3,433

$71.3 MKD 3,901

-11.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.53 MKD 2,052

$32.12 MKD 1,756

16.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 MKD 5,027

$81.8 MKD 4,472

12.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MKD 5,544

$87.1 MKD 4,762

16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 MKD 15.0K

$289 MKD 15.8K

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MKD 10.8K

$169 MKD 9,221

16.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 MKD 30.5K

$509 MKD 27.9K

9.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 MKD 18.1K

$309 MKD 16.9K

7.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,693 MKD 92.5K

$1,530 MKD 83.7K

10.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,001 MKD 54.7K

$1,169 MKD 63.9K

-14.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 MKD 24.9K

$545 MKD 29.8K

-16.38%

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 Sveti Nikole: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kocani

$197 22.6%

Sveti Nikole

$169 20.6% 14.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kocani

$188 21.5%

Sveti Nikole

$154 18.8% 18.1% $34

Groceries & Markets

Kocani

$151 17.3%

Sveti Nikole

$179 21.9% 18.6% $28

Eating Out

Kocani

$142 16.2%

Sveti Nikole

$130 15.9% 8.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Kocani

$132 15.1%

Sveti Nikole

$123 15% 7.3% $9.6

Getting Around

Kocani

$33 3.8%

Sveti Nikole

$33 4% 0.9% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kocani

$31 3.5%

Sveti Nikole

$32 3.9% 5.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Kocani and $289 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sveti Nikole pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34 in Kocani vs $34 in Sveti Nikole for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $179 per month, with Kocani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Kocani

🇲🇰 Sveti Nikole

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

Same time as Kocani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,000

13,220

💱 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 Sveti Nikole 39 km

From you

Kocani
Sveti Nikole

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 Sveti Nikole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $874 in Kocani and $820 in Sveti Nikole, so Sveti Nikole is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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 $289 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $371 in Kocani versus $285 in Sveti Nikole. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $874 per month in Kocani versus $820 in Sveti Nikole – Sveti Nikole is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Sveti Nikole is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.