Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumanovo and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumanovo: $793 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Kumanovo
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Kumanovo Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Kumanovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$793

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kumanovo and in Sofia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kumanovo and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $793 per month in Kumanovo vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Kumanovo $793
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,162 per month in Kumanovo vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Kumanovo $1,162
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $1,532 per month in Kumanovo vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Kumanovo $1,532
Sofia $3,361

Kumanovo is about 50% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kumanovo sits 41% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 MKD 356

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-61.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.26 MKD 1,487

$65.8 BGN 115

-58.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MKD 361

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-41.61%

Cappuccino

$1.45 MKD 79.0

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-57.73%

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

$1.40 MKD 76.2

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-41.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 MKD 85.1

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MKD 92.0

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-63.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MKD 66.9

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MKD 40.01

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-53.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MKD 96.4

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-24.03%

Eggs

$2.34 MKD 128

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-46.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 MKD 435

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-32.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 MKD 413

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-14.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 MKD 627

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-34.19%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 MKD 51.2

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-56.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.6

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 71.4

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-32.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MKD 95.0

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-58.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 46.29

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-18.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MKD 43.60

$0.85 BGN 1.48

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 MKD 28.25

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-54.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.11

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-33.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 MKD 171

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-25.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 MKD 389

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MKD 57.5

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MKD 57.0

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-43.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 61.0

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.68

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-34.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 MKD 312

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-62.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MKD 79.0

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-14.20%

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

$35.5K MKD 1.9M

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

19.10%

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

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

3.71%

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

$128 MKD 6,956

$156 BGN 272

-18.30%

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

$16.68 MKD 910

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-22.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 MKD 1,020

$15.24 BGN 26.51

22.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.77 MKD 1,515

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-39.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 MKD 1,001

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-34.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 MKD 301

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-45.68%

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

$356 MKD 19.4K

$774 BGN 1,347

-54.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,659 MKD 308.7K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-55.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 MKD 2,270

$89.9 BGN 157

-53.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 MKD 1,080

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-52.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 MKD 4,392

$105 BGN 183

-23.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.21 MKD 2,685

$107 BGN 186

-53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 MKD 13.1K

$783 BGN 1,362

-69.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 MKD 10.7K

$597 BGN 1,038

-67.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MKD 22.4K

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MKD 13.4K

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-76.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,610 MKD 87.8K

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-62.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 MKD 78.2K

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-54.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$554 MKD 30.2K

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-68.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

38.41%

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

Last update for Kumanovo: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kumanovo

$196 24.7%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 205% $401

Groceries & Markets

Kumanovo

$194 24.5%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 49.4% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kumanovo

$163 20.6%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 18.4% $30

Eating Out

Kumanovo

$110 13.9%

Sofia

$255 16% 131% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Kumanovo

$86 10.9%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 79.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Kumanovo

$39 4.9%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 71.2% $28

Getting Around

Kumanovo

$4.2 * 0.5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 812% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Kumanovo versus $783 in Sofia. 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 213% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Kumanovo versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $290 – making Kumanovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Kumanovo

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

18:36 6:36 PM

1 h ahead of Kumanovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,051

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Kumanovo Sofia 150 km

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Kumanovo
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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

Kumanovo vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $793 in Kumanovo, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Kumanovo and $2,391 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kumanovo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $793 in Kumanovo and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 101%.

Kindergarten costs $356 per month in Kumanovo and $774 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kumanovo, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Kumanovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $793 in Kumanovo to $1,594 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kumanovo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.