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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,087 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,634 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,180 in Skopje.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than in Skopje, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Skopje is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.58 MKD 407

72.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$33.45 MKD 1,796

60.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.70 MKD 360

44.48%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.27 MKD 122

64.76%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$2.03 MKD 109

-20.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.29 MKD 69.3

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.66 MKD 143

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.35 MKD 180

41.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.29 MKD 69.5

27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.76 MKD 40.83

261.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.67 MKD 89.7

11.98%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.21 MKD 119

13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.13 MKD 490

11.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.78 MKD 418

6.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$13.71 MKD 736

-13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.06 MKD 57.1

183.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.43 MKD 76.8

26.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.35 MKD 72.6

48.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.17 MKD 116

-7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.89 MKD 47.79

133.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.90 MKD 48.49

152.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.69 MKD 36.95

111.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.55 MKD 29.72

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.18 MKD 171

36.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.26 MKD 390

134.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.07 MKD 57.3

61.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.52 MKD 81.5

135.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.76 MKD 40.98

-48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$28.58 MKD 1,534

-34.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.96 MKD 51.6

38.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.48 MKD 26.03

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$7.41 MKD 398

-29.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.49 MKD 79.7

-10.07%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

-42.33%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

-18.57%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$160 MKD 8,580

-74.54%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$18.05 MKD 969

48.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$19.13 MKD 1,027

59.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$38.66 MKD 2,075

36.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$17.36 MKD 932

53.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.62 MKD 356

-1.66%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$320 MKD 17.2K

33.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,642 MKD 249.2K

126.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$77.5 MKD 4,160

-26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$40.16 MKD 2,156

13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$100 MKD 5,368

4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$110 MKD 5,918

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$425 MKD 22.8K

136.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$310 MKD 16.6K

100.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$645 MKD 34.6K

226.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$463 MKD 24.8K

163.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,731 MKD 146.6K

42.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,740 MKD 93.4K

16.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$886 MKD 47.6K

17.15%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $425 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 17% 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 $33.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $210 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,087 including rent). Skopje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $425 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 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $320 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,456 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.