Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Skopje

For one person, living costs are similar in Kuala Lumpur and in Skopje: $1,074 and $1,112 a month, rent and utilities included.

52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,074
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $1,622 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,622
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $2,170 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,170
Skopje $2,202

Kuala Lumpur is about 3% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 21% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 MYR 20.35

$9.68 MKD 533

-48.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.03 MYR 119

$34.35 MKD 1,891

-15.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.84

$6.52 MKD 359

-25.61%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.34

$2.14 MKD 118

41.12%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.22

$1.81 MKD 99.7

-56.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.86

$1.38 MKD 76.0

-67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.29

$2.68 MKD 148

67.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.19

$3.03 MKD 167

103.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.63

$1.28 MKD 70.3

64.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$0.74 MKD 40.82

51.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$1.85 MKD 102

4.32%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.04

$2.50 MKD 138

-1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 MYR 58.2

$8.11 MKD 447

75.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MYR 17.86

$7.36 MKD 405

-40.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 MYR 40.32

$15.00 MKD 826

-34.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.13

$1.43 MKD 78.6

141.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.27

$1.41 MKD 77.4

26.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.26

$1.31 MKD 72.4

73.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.18

$1.86 MKD 103

-18.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$0.88 MKD 48.37

39.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.33

$0.78 MKD 42.78

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.65

$0.63 MKD 34.69

80.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.59 MKD 32.37

20.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.52

$3.36 MKD 185

27.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 MYR 80.8

$7.48 MKD 412

164.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 MYR 13.75

$1.06 MKD 58.5

216.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MYR 20.52

$1.50 MKD 82.4

234.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.71 MKD 38.87

-1.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.44 MYR 50.9

$25.73 MKD 1,417

-51.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.08 MKD 59.2

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.09

$0.57 MKD 31.64

119.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.37

$7.50 MKD 413

-33.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.63

$1.59 MKD 87.5

-44.03%

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

$44.5K MYR 182.1K

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

29.89%

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

$34.6K MYR 141.5K

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

32.84%

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

$63.5 MYR 259

$158 MKD 8,717

-59.92%

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

$8.62 MYR 35.24

$18.80 MKD 1,035

-54.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$19.20 MKD 1,057

36.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 MYR 201

$37.03 MKD 2,038

32.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 MYR 29.93

$17.35 MKD 955

-57.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.33

$7.44 MKD 409

-33.20%

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

$472 MYR 1,927

$369 MKD 20.3K

27.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 53.9K

$5,668 MKD 312.1K

132.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 295

$85.6 MKD 4,711

-15.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 MYR 170

$36.99 MKD 2,036

12.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MYR 343

$101 MKD 5,587

-17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 MYR 385

$112 MKD 6,181

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,800

$394 MKD 21.7K

74.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,463

$314 MKD 17.3K

14.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 MYR 4,953

$715 MKD 39.3K

69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 MYR 2,424

$483 MKD 26.6K

22.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,760 MYR 15.4K

$2,745 MKD 151.1K

36.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MYR 6,395

$1,844 MKD 101.5K

-15.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 MYR 5,957

$876 MKD 48.2K

66.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

4.23

-1.42%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 12.4% $44

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5%

Skopje

$211 19% 23.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 15.3% $20

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 19% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 99.7% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 12.3% $7.3

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 43.4% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Kuala Lumpur 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 run about 66% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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 $29 in Kuala Lumpur versus $34 in Skopje. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Kuala Lumpur vs $211 in Skopje – so Skopje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

7 h behind Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 55.05 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.27 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Skopje 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
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

Kuala Lumpur vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Skopje is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,611 per month in Kuala Lumpur 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 $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Skopje – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Kuala Lumpur and $34 in Skopje. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur and $1,112 in Skopje, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kuala Lumpur costs $1,074 versus $1,112 in Skopje. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.