Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makhachkala and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,117 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
Learn more

Makhachkala Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
Learn more

Skopje Living Index

Jump to prices

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,009 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,117 in Skopje, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,009
Skopje $1,117

A couple spends around $1,562 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,654 in Skopje, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,562
Skopje $1,654

A family of three spends $2,115 per month in Makhachkala vs $2,191 in Skopje, rent included.

Makhachkala $2,115
Skopje $2,191

Makhachkala is about 10% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Makhachkala and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Makhachkala 25% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₽851

$9.29 MKD 507

9.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.73 ₽2,648

$34.04 MKD 1,857

-6.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 ₽457

$6.28 MKD 343

-12.74%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₽221

$2.05 MKD 112

29.27%

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

$1.17 ₽98.0

$1.84 MKD 101

-36.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$1.31 MKD 71.3

-53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₽162

$2.67 MKD 146

-27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₽246

$3.11 MKD 170

-5.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽91.6

$1.22 MKD 66.7

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽58.9

$0.74 MKD 40.54

-4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₽118

$1.75 MKD 95.5

-19.43%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽127

$2.40 MKD 131

-36.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₽917

$8.16 MKD 445

34.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 ₽450

$7.43 MKD 405

-27.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ₽921

$14.85 MKD 810

-25.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.43 MKD 78.1

18.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.44 MKD 78.5

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.37 MKD 74.6

27.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₽232

$1.90 MKD 103

46.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$0.89 MKD 48.32

-8.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$0.84 MKD 46.04

-27.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽103

$0.63 MKD 34.61

95.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.8

$0.55 MKD 29.98

34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₽278

$3.40 MKD 185

-2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 ₽661

$7.47 MKD 407

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽91.4

$1.01 MKD 55.2

8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₽168

$1.43 MKD 78.3

41.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽44.80

$0.76 MKD 41.68

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 MKD 1,480

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ₽225

$1.11 MKD 60.3

143.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₽33.48

$0.61 MKD 33.03

-34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 ₽477

$7.55 MKD 412

-24.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.2

$1.56 MKD 85.0

-46.15%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

17.36%

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

$37.4K ₽3.1M

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

36.62%

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

$110 ₽9,172

$154 MKD 8,393

-28.58%

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

$5.49 ₽458

$18.77 MKD 1,024

-70.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.44 ₽705

$18.72 MKD 1,021

-54.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.62 ₽2,973

$38.00 MKD 2,073

-6.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.57 ₽1,967

$17.14 MKD 935

37.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 ₽512

$7.24 MKD 395

-15.33%

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

$348 ₽29.1K

$351 MKD 19.1K

-0.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,288 ₽441.3K

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

-7.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 ₽6,688

$85.6 MKD 4,671

-6.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 ₽4,518

$37.04 MKD 2,020

46.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₽8,539

$101 MKD 5,498

1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₽9,353

$113 MKD 6,150

-0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$422 MKD 23.0K

8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ₽26.3K

$328 MKD 17.9K

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₽74.4K

$721 MKD 39.3K

23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₽46.4K

$487 MKD 26.6K

14.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ₽185.8K

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

-17.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 ₽124.5K

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

-17.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 ₽51.9K

$876 MKD 47.8K

-28.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

4.23

407.09%

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

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makhachkala

$315 31.2%

Skopje

$328 29.4% 4% $13

Groceries & Markets

Makhachkala

$206 20.4%

Skopje

$210 18.8% 2% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Makhachkala

$157 15.6%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 3.6% $5.6

Eating Out

Makhachkala

$153 15.1%

Skopje

$150 13.4% 1.8% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makhachkala

$124 12.3%

Skopje

$191 17.1% 54.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Makhachkala

$48 4.8%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 9.6% $4.6

Getting Around

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7%

Skopje

$34 3.1% 401% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Makhachkala versus $422 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 41% higher in Skopje, 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 $32.00 in Makhachkala versus $34.00 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $210 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

1 h behind Makhachkala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

604,266

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makhachkala Skopje 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makhachkala
Skopje

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Makhachkala vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Skopje is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,513 per month in Makhachkala and $1,675 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, 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 $1,009 in Makhachkala and $1,117 in Skopje. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Makhachkala and $351 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Skopje at $1,117. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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