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: $1,319 in Piestany versus $1,182 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,826 in Piestany versus $1,723 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,333 in Piestany versus $2,263 in Skopje.

Living in Piestany is roughly 12% more expensive than in Skopje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Piestany 4% lower, Skopje 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.73 €6.65

$9.68 MKD 510

-20.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.95 €23.18

$34.37 MKD 1,812

-21.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 €6.89

$6.65 MKD 350

20.60%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.74

$2.23 MKD 117

-9.42%

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

$1.65 €1.42

$1.86 MKD 98.2

-11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.28 MKD 67.5

-8.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 €1.28

$2.81 MKD 148

-47.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.25 MKD 171

-26.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.33 MKD 70.2

-24.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.78 MKD 41.37

23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.94 MKD 102

-53.61%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.43

$2.47 MKD 130

14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 €7.69

$8.73 MKD 460

2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 €5.75

$7.49 MKD 395

-10.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 €9.61

$15.07 MKD 794

-25.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.53 MKD 80.5

37.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.50 MKD 78.9

1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.38 MKD 72.9

50.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 €3.99

$2.08 MKD 109

123.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.92 MKD 48.67

35.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.84 MKD 44.14

95.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.62 MKD 32.43

122.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.57

$0.57 MKD 30.24

17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$3.63 MKD 191

53.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 €4.40

$7.37 MKD 388

-30.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$1.09 MKD 57.4

-18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.56 MKD 82.1

9.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.80 MKD 42.00

32.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 MKD 1,483

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.11 MKD 58.3

156.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.98

$0.68 MKD 35.67

66.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.52 €20.22

$7.98 MKD 421

194.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.54 MKD 81.0

18.83%

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

$27.2K €23.4K

$37.0K MKD 2.0M

-26.42%

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

$28.7K €24.7K

$28.4K MKD 1.5M

1.07%

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

$227 €195

$168 MKD 8,834

35.49%

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

$17.07 €14.68

$19.55 MKD 1,030

-12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.48 €14.17

$19.73 MKD 1,040

-16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 €36.78

$38.05 MKD 2,005

12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 €16.80

$17.83 MKD 940

9.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 €6.95

$7.13 MKD 376

13.46%

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

$345 €297

$389 MKD 20.5K

-11.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,280

$5,501 MKD 290.0K

96.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.41 €40.77

$91.6 MKD 4,826

-48.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 €29.89

$39.71 MKD 2,093

-12.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 €50.9

$107 MKD 5,616

-44.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.58 €39.19

$114 MKD 6,010

-60.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 €576

$443 MKD 23.3K

51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 €465

$339 MKD 17.9K

59.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 €857

$750 MKD 39.5K

32.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 €683

$535 MKD 28.2K

48.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,443 €2,961

$2,778 MKD 146.4K

23.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 €2,238

$1,892 MKD 99.7K

37.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,197 €1,029

$906 MKD 47.7K

32.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.25

-22.35%

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

Last update for Piestany: September 5, 2026

Last update for Skopje: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $670 in Piestany and $443 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piestany pays 32% 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: $27.00 in Piestany vs $34.00 in Skopje. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $217, 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $670 in Piestany versus $443 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Piestany. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,319 per month in Piestany versus $1,182 in Skopje – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,182 in Skopje versus $1,319 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 12% less than in Piestany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.