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: $1,379 in Piestany versus $1,112 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,910 in Piestany versus $1,621 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,442 in Piestany versus $2,130 in Skopje.

Living in Piestany is roughly 24% more expensive than Skopje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Piestany is 3% above, Skopje is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.88 €6.78

$7.57 MKD 399

4.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.99 €24.93

$34.02 MKD 1,793

-14.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 €9.02

$6.65 MKD 350

57.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.19 MKD 115

42.92%

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

$2.10 €1.80

$1.94 MKD 102

8.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.28 MKD 67.5

29.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.70 MKD 142

-42.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.04

$3.47 MKD 183

2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.34 MKD 70.7

-21.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.82 MKD 43.38

62.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.75 MKD 92.4

-46.29%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.47

$2.19 MKD 115

31.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 €10.49

$9.22 MKD 486

32.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 €5.99

$7.99 MKD 421

-12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 €11.30

$13.63 MKD 719

-3.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.01 MKD 53.4

102.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.41 MKD 74.5

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.32 MKD 69.6

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 €4.11

$2.17 MKD 115

120.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.88 MKD 46.57

106.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$0.92 MKD 48.53

98.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.71 MKD 37.43

128.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.58 MKD 30.60

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.82

$3.15 MKD 166

77.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 €4.52

$7.41 MKD 391

-29.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.06 MKD 55.9

7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.51 MKD 79.8

25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.77 MKD 40.44

31.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.09 €25.03

$27.67 MKD 1,458

5.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.98 MKD 51.5

39.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.49 MKD 25.61

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 €27.31

$7.60 MKD 400

317.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.47 MKD 77.3

18.37%

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

$28.2K €24.3K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

-17.13%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

3.68%

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

$243 €209

$160 MKD 8,446

51.46%

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

$17.39 €14.96

$18.34 MKD 966

-5.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.69 €15.21

$19.13 MKD 1,008

-7.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.08 €36.20

$38.37 MKD 2,022

9.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.54 €15.09

$17.56 MKD 925

-0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 €6.88

$6.72 MKD 354

19.05%

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

$666 €573

$312 MKD 16.5K

113.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.7K

$4,509 MKD 237.6K

176.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.78 €40.24

$77.2 MKD 4,067

-39.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.19 €20.81

$40.43 MKD 2,131

-40.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 €50.7

$100 MKD 5,275

-41.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.10 €39.66

$110 MKD 5,810

-58.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 €507

$429 MKD 22.6K

37.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 €413

$310 MKD 16.3K

54.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 €823

$645 MKD 34.0K

48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 €645

$459 MKD 24.2K

63.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,531 €3,037

$2,801 MKD 147.6K

26.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,485 €2,137

$1,829 MKD 96.4K

35.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,200 €1,032

$913 MKD 48.1K

31.49%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Skopje: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Piestany and $429 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piestany pays 31% 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: $29.00 in Piestany vs $34.00 in Skopje. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $213, 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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Piestany pays 31% more on average, 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: $589 in Piestany versus $429 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 $34.00 versus $29.00 in Piestany. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,379 per month in Piestany versus $1,112 in Skopje – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,112 in Skopje versus $1,379 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 24% less than in Piestany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.