Cost of Living Comparison Between Piestany and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Piestany and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,376 in Piestany versus $1,087 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,955 in Piestany versus $1,634 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,535 in Piestany versus $2,180 in Skopje.

Living in Piestany is roughly 27% more expensive than in Skopje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Piestany is 3% above, Skopje is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 €6.91

$7.58 MKD 407

4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.51 €25.82

$33.45 MKD 1,794

-11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 €9.21

$6.70 MKD 359

57.01%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.74

$2.27 MKD 122

37.89%

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

$2.15 €1.88

$2.03 MKD 109

5.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.29 MKD 69.2

27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.66 MKD 143

-42.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €2.96

$3.35 MKD 180

0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 €0.88

$1.29 MKD 69.4

-21.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.15

$0.76 MKD 40.80

73.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 €0.84

$1.67 MKD 89.6

-42.51%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$2.21 MKD 119

30.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 €10.70

$9.13 MKD 490

33.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 €6.12

$7.78 MKD 417

-10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 €11.15

$13.71 MKD 735

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.06 MKD 57.1

93.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.43 MKD 76.8

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.35 MKD 72.5

68.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 €4.21

$2.17 MKD 116

121.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.67

$0.89 MKD 47.75

113.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.90 MKD 48.45

102.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.69 MKD 36.92

123.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$0.55 MKD 29.70

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.80

$3.18 MKD 170

72.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 €4.53

$7.26 MKD 389

-28.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.07 MKD 57.2

9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.52 MKD 81.5

23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 €0.89

$0.76 MKD 40.94

32.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.81 €25.20

$28.58 MKD 1,533

0.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 €1.20

$0.96 MKD 51.6

42.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.48 MKD 26.01

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.79 €27.81

$7.41 MKD 397

329.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.49 MKD 79.7

18.12%

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

$27.7K €24.2K

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

-17.75%

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

$30.3K €26.5K

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

3.62%

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

$244 €213

$160 MKD 8,574

52.52%

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

$17.55 €15.36

$18.05 MKD 968

-2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.59 €15.39

$19.13 MKD 1,026

-8.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.00 €37.62

$38.66 MKD 2,074

11.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 €15.07

$17.36 MKD 931

-0.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 €7.12

$6.62 MKD 355

22.96%

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

$668 €584

$320 MKD 17.2K

108.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.2K

$4,642 MKD 249.0K

176.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.61 €40.78

$77.5 MKD 4,157

-39.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.89 €21.78

$40.16 MKD 2,154

-38.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.5 €51.2

$100 MKD 5,364

-41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.92 €41.05

$110 MKD 5,913

-57.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 €519

$425 MKD 22.8K

39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 €426

$310 MKD 16.6K

57.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 €843

$645 MKD 34.6K

49.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 €648

$463 MKD 24.8K

60.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 €2,991

$2,731 MKD 146.5K

25.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,487 €2,176

$1,740 MKD 93.3K

42.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,154 €1,010

$886 MKD 47.5K

30.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

4.54

-6.39%

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

Last update for Piestany: July 13, 2026

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $593 in Piestany and $425 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piestany pays 30% 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: $30.00 in Piestany vs $33.00 in Skopje. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $210, with Skopje cheaper for home cooking.

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

Piestany vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Piestany, 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: $593 in Piestany versus $425 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Skopje – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $30.00 in Piestany. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,376 per month in Piestany versus $1,087 in Skopje – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,376 in Piestany, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Piestany. 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 Piestany, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Piestany and Skopje are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Piestany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.