Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,158 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,839 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,621 in Skopje, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,519 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,130 in Skopje, rent included.

Port Elizabeth costs about 4% more than Skopje, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Port Elizabeth and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 14% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 R 146

$7.57 MKD 399

18.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.72 R 727

$34.02 MKD 1,793

31.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 R 86.2

$6.65 MKD 350

-20.30%

Cappuccino

$2.23 R 36.16

$2.19 MKD 115

1.83%

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

$1.17 R 19.08

$1.94 MKD 102

-39.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 16.83

$1.28 MKD 67.5

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 R 40.57

$2.70 MKD 142

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R 47.99

$3.47 MKD 183

-14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.12

$1.34 MKD 70.7

-16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 R 15.13

$0.82 MKD 43.38

13.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.17

$1.75 MKD 92.4

-18.29%

Eggs

$2.49 R 40.42

$2.19 MKD 115

13.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 128

$9.22 MKD 486

-14.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 R 79.0

$7.99 MKD 421

-39.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.05 R 131

$13.63 MKD 719

-40.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.26

$1.01 MKD 53.4

66.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 22.98

$1.41 MKD 74.5

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.81

$1.32 MKD 69.6

20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.34

$2.17 MKD 115

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.31

$0.88 MKD 46.57

70.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.10

$0.92 MKD 48.53

20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 R 19.37

$0.71 MKD 37.43

67.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.05

$0.58 MKD 30.60

60.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 R 48.15

$3.15 MKD 166

-6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 81.2

$7.41 MKD 391

-32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.88

$1.06 MKD 55.9

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 27.87

$1.51 MKD 79.8

13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 17.79

$0.77 MKD 40.44

41.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.50 R 561

$27.67 MKD 1,458

24.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 R 43.49

$0.98 MKD 51.5

173.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 R 7.22

$0.49 MKD 25.61

-10.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 R 131

$7.60 MKD 400

5.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.92

$1.47 MKD 77.3

-12.24%

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

$23.5K R 382.4K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

-30.84%

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

$25.5K R 413.8K

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

-13.94%

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

$118 R 1,913

$160 MKD 8,446

-26.54%

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

$32.46 R 527

$18.34 MKD 966

76.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.22 R 719

$19.13 MKD 1,008

131.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.98 R 471

$38.37 MKD 2,022

-24.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.80 R 338

$17.56 MKD 925

18.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 R 155

$6.72 MKD 354

41.67%

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

$164 R 2,661

$312 MKD 16.5K

-47.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,714 R 76.6K

$4,509 MKD 237.6K

4.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.6 R 1,083

$77.2 MKD 4,067

-13.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.40 R 608

$40.43 MKD 2,131

-7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 R 1,524

$100 MKD 5,275

-6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 R 1,471

$110 MKD 5,810

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 R 9,532

$429 MKD 22.6K

36.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 R 7,276

$310 MKD 16.3K

44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 R 18.1K

$645 MKD 34.0K

72.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 R 14.2K

$459 MKD 24.2K

89.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$776 R 12.6K

$2,801 MKD 147.6K

-72.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$545 R 8,864

$1,829 MKD 96.4K

-70.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,620 R 26.3K

$913 MKD 48.1K

77.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

4.54

165.20%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Last update for Skopje: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $587 in Port Elizabeth versus $429 in Skopje. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 77% higher in Port Elizabeth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $34.00 in Skopje. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in Port Elizabeth vs $213 in Skopje – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Port Elizabeth vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Elizabeth costs about 4% more than Skopje, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,737 per month in Port Elizabeth and $1,667 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Port Elizabeth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Port Elizabeth and $34.00 in Skopje. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,112, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,158. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,112 versus $1,158 in Port Elizabeth. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Skopje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Elizabeth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.