Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Nizhny Novgorod and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,110 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,087 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,752 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,634 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,394 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $2,180 in Skopje.

Living in Nizhny Novgorod is roughly 2% more expensive than in Skopje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nizhny Novgorod 17% lower, Skopje 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₽879

$7.58 MKD 407

48.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.61 ₽2,938

$33.45 MKD 1,794

12.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 ₽440

$6.70 MKD 359

-15.97%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₽204

$2.27 MKD 122

14.98%

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

$1.25 ₽97.5

$2.03 MKD 109

-38.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₽35.72

$1.29 MKD 69.2

-64.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₽78.8

$2.66 MKD 143

-62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₽244

$3.35 MKD 180

-6.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 ₽82.3

$1.29 MKD 69.4

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 ₽47.93

$0.76 MKD 40.80

-19.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ₽106

$1.67 MKD 89.6

-18.56%

Eggs

$1.59 ₽124

$2.21 MKD 119

-28.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.52 ₽822

$9.13 MKD 490

15.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₽373

$7.78 MKD 417

-38.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.73 ₽682

$13.71 MKD 735

-36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₽135

$1.06 MKD 57.1

63.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₽132

$1.43 MKD 76.8

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽151

$1.35 MKD 72.5

42.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 ₽198

$2.17 MKD 116

16.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₽55.1

$0.89 MKD 47.75

-21.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ₽55.2

$0.90 MKD 48.45

-21.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽96.4

$0.69 MKD 36.92

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽60.9

$0.55 MKD 29.70

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₽224

$3.18 MKD 170

-9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ₽754

$7.26 MKD 389

32.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₽91.8

$1.07 MKD 57.2

10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₽169

$1.52 MKD 81.5

42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽38.09

$0.76 MKD 40.94

-35.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.95 ₽1,324

$28.58 MKD 1,533

-40.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₽152

$0.96 MKD 51.6

103.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₽46.31

$0.48 MKD 26.01

22.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.63 ₽596

$7.41 MKD 397

2.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 ₽59.8

$1.49 MKD 79.7

-48.32%

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

$40.9K ₽3.2M

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

21.59%

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

$31.6K ₽2.5M

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

7.84%

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

$110 ₽8,627

$160 MKD 8,574

-30.91%

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

$5.73 ₽448

$18.05 MKD 968

-68.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.22 ₽564

$19.13 MKD 1,026

-62.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.19 ₽2,515

$38.66 MKD 2,074

-16.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.25 ₽1,270

$17.36 MKD 931

-6.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₽493

$6.62 MKD 355

-4.68%

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

$332 ₽25.9K

$320 MKD 17.2K

3.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,908 ₽305.3K

$4,642 MKD 249.0K

-15.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 ₽6,401

$77.5 MKD 4,157

5.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.6 ₽5,982

$40.16 MKD 2,154

90.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₽11.2K

$100 MKD 5,364

43.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₽8,768

$110 MKD 5,913

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ₽46.1K

$425 MKD 22.8K

38.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ₽29.1K

$310 MKD 16.6K

20.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ₽78.6K

$645 MKD 34.6K

55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₽57.8K

$463 MKD 24.8K

59.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 ₽312.1K

$2,731 MKD 146.5K

46.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ₽194.6K

$1,740 MKD 93.3K

43.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$923 ₽72.1K

$886 MKD 47.5K

4.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.46

4.54

262.56%

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

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: July 12, 2026

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Nizhny Novgorod and $425 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nizhny Novgorod pays 4% 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: $38.00 in Nizhny Novgorod vs $33.00 in Skopje. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $210, with Nizhny Novgorod cheaper for home cooking.

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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $590 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $425 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $332 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $320 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Nizhny Novgorod pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,110 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 2% less than in Nizhny Novgorod. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.