For one person, living is cheaper in North Macedonia: $930 a month against $2,589 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in North Macedonia and in Australia
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in North Macedonia and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $930 per month in North Macedonia vs $2,589 in Australia, rent included.
North Macedonia $930
Australia $2,589
A couple spends around $1,383 per month in North Macedonia vs $3,789 in Australia, rent included.
North Macedonia $1,383
Australia $3,789
A family of three spends $1,836 per month in North Macedonia vs $4,990 in Australia, rent included.
North Macedonia $1,836
Australia $4,990
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,299) than in North Macedonia ($731–$1,074), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in North Macedonia is roughly 64% lower than in Australia on average.
📊
North Macedonia sits 31% below the global median, while Australia is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.13MKD 388
$17.24A$25.10
-58.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.99MKD 1,470
$85.1A$124
-68.28%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.41MKD 295
$11.18A$16.28
-51.61%
Cappuccino
$1.69MKD 92.3
$4.01A$5.84
-57.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61MKD 87.8
$2.90A$4.22
-44.48%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23MKD 66.8
$2.30A$3.35
-46.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.24MKD 122
$7.74A$11.27
-71.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77MKD 151
$8.16A$11.89
-66.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.31MKD 71.2
$1.73A$2.51
-24.28%
White Bread(500g)
$0.72MKD 39.18
$2.69A$3.91
-73.23%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.59MKD 86.8
$2.24A$3.25
-29.02%
Eggs
$2.21MKD 121
$4.95A$7.20
-55.35%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.86MKD 428
$9.42A$13.72
-16.56%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.54MKD 357
$9.40A$13.68
-30.43%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.20MKD 664
$15.30A$22.27
-20.26%
Apples(1kg)
$1.16MKD 63.0
$3.65A$5.32
-68.22%
Banana(1kg)
$1.45MKD 78.9
$3.08A$4.49
-52.92%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.33MKD 72.6
$3.27A$4.76
-59.33%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.82MKD 99.3
$4.59A$6.68
-60.35%
Potato(1kg)
$0.88MKD 47.93
$2.83A$4.12
-68.90%
Onion(1kg)
$1.01MKD 54.9
$2.26A$3.30
-55.31%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.62MKD 34.02
$2.37A$3.46
-73.84%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55MKD 29.83
$1.66A$2.41
-66.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30MKD 180
$38.43A$56.0
-91.41%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.50MKD 299
$14.21A$20.69
-61.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01MKD 55.2
$4.95A$7.21
-79.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36MKD 74.2
$5.13A$7.47
-73.49%
🚌 Getting Around
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.76MKD 41.14
$2.46A$3.59
-69.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$25.85MKD 1,408
$93.0A$135
-72.20%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.28MKD 69.9
$3.66A$5.33
-65.03%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.71MKD 38.86
$1.82A$2.64
-60.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.44MKD 405
$43.83A$63.8
-83.03%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.46MKD 79.4
$1.35A$1.96
8.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6KMKD 1.8M
$29.8KA$43.5K
12.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.9KMKD 1.5M
$26.1KA$38.0K
6.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$144MKD 7,867
$208A$303
-30.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.18MKD 936
$29.05A$42.29
-40.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.96MKD 924
$58.7A$85.4
-71.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$27.09MKD 1,476
$56.4A$82.1
-51.97%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.74MKD 803
$19.40A$28.25
-24.02%
Cinema Ticket
$6.53MKD 356
$15.11A$22.00
-56.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$286MKD 15.6K
$2,113A$3,076
-86.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,525MKD 410.0K
$23.1KA$33.6K
-67.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.4MKD 3,618
$80.0A$116
-16.99%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.55MKD 2,045
$54.2A$78.9
-30.75%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$86.6MKD 4,720
$112A$162
-22.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101MKD 5,503
$125A$181
-18.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$297MKD 16.2K
$1,620A$2,359
-81.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$235MKD 12.8K
$1,256A$1,829
-81.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$538MKD 29.3K
$2,616A$3,809
-79.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$360MKD 19.6K
$2,007A$2,923
-82.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,888MKD 102.9K
$8,539A$12.4K
-77.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,309MKD 71.3K
$6,404A$9,324
-79.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
North Macedonia
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$736MKD 40.1K
$3,931A$5,723
-81.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.69
5.96
-21.31%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for North Macedonia: November 2, 2026
Last update for Australia: November 3, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
North Macedonia
$235 25.2%
Australia
$1.3K 48.5% ↑ 435%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
North Macedonia
$190 20.4%
Australia
$373 14.4% ↑ 96.3%$183
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
North Macedonia
$179 19.2%
Australia
$296 11.4% ↑ 65.7%$117
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
North Macedonia
$131 14.1%
Australia
$167 6.4% ↑ 27%$35
🍽Eating Out
North Macedonia
$122 13.1%
Australia
$295 11.4% ↑ 143%$174
🎉Sport & Entertainment
North Macedonia
$40 4.3%
Australia
$87 3.4% ↑ 116%$46
🚌Getting Around
North Macedonia
$34 3.6%
Australia
$116 4.5% ↑ 243%$82
🏠Accommodation & Living
North Macedonia
$360 19.6%
Australia
$2K 40.2% ↑ 458%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
North Macedonia
$448 24.4%
Australia
$845 16.9% ↑ 88.4%$396
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
North Macedonia
$196 10.7%
Australia
$325 6.5% ↑ 66%$129
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
North Macedonia
$292 15.9%
Australia
$370 7.4% ↑ 27%$79
🍽Eating Out
North Macedonia
$377 20.5%
Australia
$1K 20.3% ↑ 169%$637
🎉Sport & Entertainment
North Macedonia
$95 5.2%
Australia
$193 3.9% ↑ 103%$98
🚌Getting Around
North Macedonia
$69 3.8%
Australia
$236 4.7% ↑ 243%$167
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $273 in North Macedonia vs $1,381 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $382 in Skopje and $1,761 in Canberra.
💰Average salary: $640 in North Macedonia vs $3,863 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 406% higher in Australia.
⭐Dining out costs 207% more in Australia.
⭐Public transport is 254% more expensive in Australia.
⭐Salaries are about 6 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.
North Macedonia→Australia15,480 km≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
North Macedonia
Australia
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
North Macedonia vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than North Macedonia?
North Macedonia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 64% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,381 versus $273 in North Macedonia.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in North Macedonia – part of why living there is about 64% cheaper overall.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Australia or in North Macedonia?
$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in North Macedonia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to North Macedonia?
North Macedonia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
North Macedonia vs other spots: cost of living compared