Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,221 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,221

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,221 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,221
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $2,093 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,093
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $2,965 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,965
Skopje $2,202

Koh Samui costs about 10% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Koh Samui and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Koh Samui 10% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 ฿146

$9.68 MKD 534

-55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.28 ฿1,090

$34.35 MKD 1,894

-6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿289

$6.52 MKD 360

31.13%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ฿92.7

$2.14 MKD 118

28.50%

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

$0.89 ฿30.03

$1.81 MKD 99.8

-50.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.57

$1.38 MKD 76.1

-64.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.68 MKD 148

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿122

$3.03 MKD 167

19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.28 MKD 70.4

29.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.34

$0.74 MKD 40.87

97.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿53.4

$1.85 MKD 102

-14.59%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿73.0

$2.50 MKD 138

-13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.29 ฿651

$8.11 MKD 447

137.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿113

$7.36 MKD 406

-54.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿367

$15.00 MKD 827

-27.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.3

$1.43 MKD 78.7

105.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.2

$1.41 MKD 77.5

13.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿77.2

$1.31 MKD 72.4

74.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿69.2

$1.86 MKD 103

10.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.83

$0.88 MKD 48.43

64.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.17

$0.78 MKD 42.84

75.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.70

$0.63 MKD 34.73

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.64

$0.59 MKD 32.41

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$3.36 MKD 185

26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 ฿622

$7.48 MKD 412

146.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.06 MKD 58.5

71.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.3

$1.50 MKD 82.5

90.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$0.71 MKD 38.92

115.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 ฿1,961

$25.73 MKD 1,418

125.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ฿106

$1.08 MKD 59.3

191.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿36.16

$0.57 MKD 31.68

87.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 ฿138

$7.50 MKD 413

-45.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$1.59 MKD 87.6

-3.77%

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

$27.5K ฿929.7K

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-19.73%

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

$27.7K ฿936.9K

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

6.46%

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

$104 ฿3,496

$158 MKD 8,729

-34.63%

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

$11.49 ฿388

$18.80 MKD 1,036

-38.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.05 ฿610

$19.20 MKD 1,058

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 ฿2,360

$37.03 MKD 2,041

88.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 ฿383

$17.35 MKD 956

-34.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ฿275

$7.44 MKD 410

9.41%

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

$509 ฿17.2K

$369 MKD 20.3K

38.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ฿417.2K

$5,668 MKD 312.4K

117.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,122

$85.6 MKD 4,717

-26.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿983

$36.99 MKD 2,039

-21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 ฿3,234

$101 MKD 5,594

-5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 ฿2,945

$112 MKD 6,189

-22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿20.5K

$394 MKD 21.7K

54.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿14.2K

$314 MKD 17.3K

33.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 ฿55.8K

$715 MKD 39.4K

131.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 ฿41.2K

$483 MKD 26.6K

152.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,583 ฿121.0K

$2,745 MKD 151.3K

30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,588 ฿87.4K

$1,844 MKD 101.6K

40.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$405 ฿13.7K

$876 MKD 48.3K

-53.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.23

31.68%

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

Last update for Koh Samui: October 24, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$420 34.4%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 25.3% $106

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$267 21.9%

Skopje

$211 19% 20.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 10.9%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 47.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$124 10.1%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 22.4% $28

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$119 9.7%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 30.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$86 7.1%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 39.8% $34

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$73 6%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 55.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Koh Samui versus $394 in Skopje. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Skopje are about 2.2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui versus $34 in Skopje. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Koh Samui vs $211 in Skopje – so Skopje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

18:45 6:45 PM

6 h behind Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Koh Samui Skopje 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Samui
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

Koh Samui vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,221 in Koh Samui, $1,112 in Skopje – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,832 per month in Koh Samui and $1,667 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $607 in Koh Samui.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Koh Samui, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui and $34 in Skopje. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,221 in Koh Samui and $1,112 in Skopje. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Samui has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,112 in Skopje to $1,221 in Koh Samui. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.