Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,112 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,621 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,130 in Skopje.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than Skopje, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Skopje is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.57 MKD 399

74.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$34.02 MKD 1,791

58.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.65 MKD 350

41.65%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$2.19 MKD 115

62.10%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$1.94 MKD 102

-16.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$1.28 MKD 67.5

-13.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$2.70 MKD 142

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$3.47 MKD 183

33.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.34 MKD 70.6

26.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$0.82 MKD 43.34

231.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.75 MKD 92.4

9.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.19 MKD 115

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$9.22 MKD 485

8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.99 MKD 421

1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.63 MKD 718

-14.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.01 MKD 53.3

194.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.41 MKD 74.4

28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.32 MKD 69.6

52.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$2.17 MKD 114

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$0.88 MKD 46.53

140.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.92 MKD 48.49

146.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.71 MKD 37.39

97.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.58 MKD 30.57

94.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$3.15 MKD 166

35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.41 MKD 390

109.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.06 MKD 55.8

66.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$1.51 MKD 79.7

138.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.77 MKD 40.40

-50.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$27.67 MKD 1,457

-30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.98 MKD 51.4

40.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.49 MKD 25.59

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$7.60 MKD 400

-28.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.47 MKD 77.3

-11.56%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

-45.09%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

-21.82%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$160 MKD 8,438

-74.51%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$18.34 MKD 965

46.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$19.13 MKD 1,007

56.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$38.37 MKD 2,020

35.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$17.56 MKD 925

52.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.72 MKD 354

-6.25%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$312 MKD 16.4K

39.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$4,509 MKD 237.4K

131.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$77.2 MKD 4,063

-26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$40.43 MKD 2,129

9.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$100 MKD 5,270

2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$110 MKD 5,804

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$429 MKD 22.6K

137.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$310 MKD 16.3K

103.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$645 MKD 34.0K

231.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$459 MKD 24.1K

171.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,801 MKD 147.5K

39.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,829 MKD 96.3K

12.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$913 MKD 48.1K

22.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.54

149.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Skopje: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $429 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $213 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Skopje differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,112 including rent). Skopje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 22% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $429 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Skopje runs roughly 44% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $312 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,112 in Skopje versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.