Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,117 a month against $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
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Nizhny Novgorod Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,232

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,117 in Skopje.

Nizhny Novgorod $1,232
Skopje $1,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,855 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,654 in Skopje.

Nizhny Novgorod $1,855
Skopje $1,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,479 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $2,191 in Skopje.

Nizhny Novgorod $2,479
Skopje $2,191

Living in Nizhny Novgorod is roughly 10% more expensive than in Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nizhny Novgorod 9% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 ₽1,163

$9.29 MKD 507

49.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 ₽4,420

$34.04 MKD 1,857

55.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ₽589

$6.28 MKD 343

12.42%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₽275

$2.05 MKD 112

60.98%

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

$1.74 ₽145

$1.84 MKD 101

-5.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽58.2

$1.31 MKD 71.3

-46.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 ₽156

$2.67 MKD 146

-30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₽309

$3.11 MKD 170

18.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽99.6

$1.22 MKD 66.7

-2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 ₽68.2

$0.74 MKD 40.54

10.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 ₽123

$1.75 MKD 95.5

-16.00%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽134

$2.40 MKD 131

-32.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 ₽972

$8.16 MKD 445

42.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₽383

$7.43 MKD 405

-38.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₽1,132

$14.85 MKD 810

-8.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.43 MKD 78.1

18.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.44 MKD 78.5

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$1.37 MKD 74.6

28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 ₽306

$1.90 MKD 103

92.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽57.1

$0.89 MKD 48.32

-23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽50.7

$0.84 MKD 46.04

-27.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ₽107

$0.63 MKD 34.61

103.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.6

$0.55 MKD 29.98

34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₽247

$3.40 MKD 185

-12.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 ₽682

$7.47 MKD 407

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽90.9

$1.01 MKD 55.2

7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₽196

$1.43 MKD 78.3

64.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.56

$0.76 MKD 41.68

-39.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ₽1,416

$27.14 MKD 1,480

-37.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 ₽177

$1.11 MKD 60.3

91.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ₽36.57

$0.61 MKD 33.03

-27.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 ₽600

$7.55 MKD 412

-4.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 ₽67.6

$1.56 MKD 85.0

-48.08%

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

$42.4K ₽3.5M

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

21.33%

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

$32.8K ₽2.7M

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

19.83%

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

$144 ₽12.0K

$154 MKD 8,393

-6.43%

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

$7.12 ₽594

$18.77 MKD 1,024

-62.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.03 ₽670

$18.72 MKD 1,021

-57.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.72 ₽2,730

$38.00 MKD 2,073

-13.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.32 ₽2,197

$17.14 MKD 935

53.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₽603

$7.24 MKD 395

-0.28%

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

$309 ₽25.8K

$351 MKD 19.1K

-11.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,940 ₽579.2K

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

21.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 ₽5,781

$85.6 MKD 4,671

-19.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₽4,531

$37.04 MKD 2,020

46.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₽11.8K

$101 MKD 5,498

39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 ₽6,963

$113 MKD 6,150

-25.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ₽50.9K

$422 MKD 23.0K

44.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 ₽35.7K

$328 MKD 17.9K

30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 ₽72.0K

$721 MKD 39.3K

19.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₽51.3K

$487 MKD 26.6K

26.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,279 ₽273.7K

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

21.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 ₽173.2K

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

14.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 ₽85.4K

$876 MKD 47.8K

16.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.81

4.23

391.96%

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

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nizhny Novgorod

$428 34.8%

Skopje

$328 29.4% 23.4% $100

Groceries & Markets

Nizhny Novgorod

$219 17.8%

Skopje

$210 18.8% 4.2% $9.2

Eating Out

Nizhny Novgorod

$199 16.1%

Skopje

$150 13.4% 24.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nizhny Novgorod

$159 12.9%

Skopje

$191 17.1% 20.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Nizhny Novgorod

$157 12.7%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 3.3% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.8%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 11.3% $5.3

Getting Around

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9%

Skopje

$34 3.1% 48.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Nizhny Novgorod and $422 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nizhny Novgorod 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: $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod vs $34.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $210 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

1 h behind Nizhny Novgorod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,254

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 17, 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 17, 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

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Between locations

Nizhny Novgorod Skopje 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nizhny Novgorod
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

Nizhny Novgorod vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Nizhny Novgorod, 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: $610 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $422 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $351 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Nizhny Novgorod. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,117 in Skopje versus $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Nizhny Novgorod. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skopje is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nizhny Novgorod, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Nizhny Novgorod. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.