Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Macedonia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $930 in North Macedonia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in North Macedonia
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North Macedonia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$930

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in North Macedonia and in China

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 China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $930 in North Macedonia versus $789 in China.

North Macedonia $930
China $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,383 in North Macedonia versus $1,254 in China.

North Macedonia $1,383
China $1,254

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,836 in North Macedonia versus $1,720 in China.

North Macedonia $1,836
China $1,720

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,246, compared to $731–$1,074 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in North Macedonia is roughly 18% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: North Macedonia 31% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.13 MKD 388

$3.04 ¥20.26

134.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.99 MKD 1,470

$22.12 ¥147

22.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 MKD 295

$5.37 ¥35.78

0.74%

Cappuccino

$1.69 MKD 92.3

$2.93 ¥19.55

-42.32%

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

$1.61 MKD 87.8

$0.48 ¥3.22

235.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 66.8

$0.30 ¥2.01

310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MKD 122

$1.07 ¥7.16

109.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MKD 151

$2.21 ¥14.70

25.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 MKD 71.2

$1.80 ¥12.01

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 MKD 39.18

$1.62 ¥10.77

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MKD 86.8

$0.99 ¥6.59

60.61%

Eggs

$2.21 MKD 121

$1.62 ¥10.80

36.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 MKD 428

$13.44 ¥89.5

-41.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 MKD 357

$3.46 ¥23.06

89.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.20 MKD 664

$11.15 ¥74.3

9.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 MKD 63.0

$1.89 ¥12.61

-38.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 78.9

$1.31 ¥8.73

10.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 MKD 72.6

$1.50 ¥9.97

-11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MKD 99.3

$1.34 ¥8.91

35.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 47.93

$0.72 ¥4.77

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MKD 54.9

$0.93 ¥6.22

8.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MKD 34.02

$0.65 ¥4.35

-4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.83

$0.60 ¥3.98

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 MKD 180

$3.82 ¥25.45

-13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 MKD 299

$12.18 ¥81.2

-54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$0.91 ¥6.05

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 MKD 74.2

$1.65 ¥10.97

-17.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 41.14

$0.29 ¥1.92

162.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.85 MKD 1,408

$18.07 ¥120

43.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 MKD 69.9

$1.53 ¥10.23

-16.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MKD 38.86

$0.37 ¥2.47

91.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 MKD 405

$6.69 ¥44.61

11.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MKD 79.4

$1.28 ¥8.50

14.06%

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

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

$19.7K ¥131.6K

70.35%

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

$27.9K MKD 1.5M

$17.5K ¥116.3K

59.86%

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

$144 MKD 7,867

$55.3 ¥369

161.03%

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

$17.18 MKD 936

$8.32 ¥55.4

106.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.96 MKD 924

$11.12 ¥74.1

52.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.09 MKD 1,476

$39.65 ¥264

-31.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.74 MKD 803

$15.17 ¥101

-2.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 MKD 356

$6.65 ¥44.30

-1.80%

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

$286 MKD 15.6K

$514 ¥3,428

-44.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,525 MKD 410.0K

$34.9K ¥232.6K

-78.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 MKD 3,618

$45.85 ¥306

44.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.55 MKD 2,045

$35.41 ¥236

6.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 MKD 4,720

$76.0 ¥507

13.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MKD 5,503

$80.0 ¥533

26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 MKD 16.2K

$380 ¥2,529

-21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 MKD 12.8K

$232 ¥1,544

1.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 MKD 29.3K

$836 ¥5,569

-35.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 MKD 19.6K

$462 ¥3,077

-22.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,888 MKD 102.9K

$4,743 ¥31.6K

-60.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 MKD 71.3K

$2,383 ¥15.9K

-45.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$736 MKD 40.1K

$1,117 ¥7,443

-34.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

3.45

35.94%

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

Last update for North Macedonia: November 2, 2026

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Macedonia

$235 25.2%

China

$232 29.4% 1.2% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

North Macedonia

$190 20.4%

China

$212 26.8% 11.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Macedonia

$179 19.2%

China

$75 9.5% 58.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

North Macedonia

$131 14.1%

China

$107 13.5% 18.6% $24

Eating Out

North Macedonia

$122 13.1%

China

$89 11.2% 27.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

North Macedonia

$40 4.3%

China

$53 6.7% 31.9% $13

Getting Around

North Macedonia

$34 3.6%

China

$23 2.9% 32.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $273 in North Macedonia, $298 in China. Capital cities: $382 in Skopje vs $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $640 in North Macedonia, $881 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in China.

Dining out costs 23% more in North Macedonia.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in North Macedonia.

Salaries are 38% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

07:44 7:44 AM

14:44 2:44 PM

7 h ahead of North Macedonia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,836,713

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.84 USD

100 MKD = 1.64 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 54.48 MKD (100 MKD = 1.84 USD). 1 EUR = 60.89 MKD (100 MKD = 1.64 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Macedonia China 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

North Macedonia
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $930 in North Macedonia, China comes out about 15% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.