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 $1,236 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,168 in Skopje, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,738 in Skopje, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,563 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,308 in Skopje, rent included.

Port Elizabeth costs about 6% more than Skopje, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Port Elizabeth and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Skopje 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 R 183

$9.46 MKD 500

20.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.17 R 709

$33.97 MKD 1,795

30.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 R 98.3

$6.73 MKD 356

-9.06%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 34.16

$2.13 MKD 113

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

$1.10 R 17.69

$1.88 MKD 99.3

-41.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 12.91

$1.30 MKD 68.8

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 R 45.69

$2.77 MKD 146

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 R 51.9

$3.15 MKD 166

2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 19.56

$1.29 MKD 68.2

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.47

$0.82 MKD 43.20

32.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.00

$1.90 MKD 100

-21.58%

Eggs

$2.81 R 45.09

$2.47 MKD 131

13.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 R 146

$8.81 MKD 466

3.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 89.4

$7.56 MKD 400

-26.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.62 R 138

$15.11 MKD 799

-42.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.44

$1.48 MKD 78.2

44.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.62

$1.50 MKD 79.2

6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.95

$1.38 MKD 72.8

21.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.44

$2.06 MKD 109

-14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.50

$0.88 MKD 46.38

101.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 22.80

$0.84 MKD 44.30

69.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.32

$0.65 MKD 34.23

104.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 16.77

$0.58 MKD 30.86

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 54.1

$3.66 MKD 194

-7.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 R 77.5

$7.47 MKD 395

-35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.03

$1.04 MKD 55.2

25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.05

$1.58 MKD 83.6

14.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 R 18.99

$0.78 MKD 41.34

51.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.87 R 592

$27.82 MKD 1,470

32.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 R 34.93

$1.12 MKD 59.2

93.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 R 7.81

$0.67 MKD 35.54

-26.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.56 R 138

$7.89 MKD 417

8.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.68

$1.62 MKD 85.4

-12.96%

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

$36.5K R 586.0K

$37.5K MKD 2.0M

-2.63%

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

$34.5K R 553.8K

$28.0K MKD 1.5M

23.34%

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

$125 R 2,013

$166 MKD 8,749

-24.31%

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

$35.65 R 573

$19.14 MKD 1,011

86.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.87 R 753

$19.69 MKD 1,041

138.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 R 517

$38.57 MKD 2,039

-16.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 R 386

$18.23 MKD 964

31.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 R 175

$7.31 MKD 386

49.38%

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

$185 R 2,974

$390 MKD 20.6K

-52.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,340 R 101.8K

$5,550 MKD 293.3K

14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 R 1,158

$89.6 MKD 4,734

-19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 R 614

$40.15 MKD 2,122

-4.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,841

$107 MKD 5,680

6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 R 1,604

$116 MKD 6,151

-14.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 R 10.2K

$445 MKD 23.5K

42.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 R 6,896

$336 MKD 17.8K

27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R 13.6K

$764 MKD 40.4K

10.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 R 11.3K

$530 MKD 28.0K

32.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$799 R 12.8K

$2,710 MKD 143.2K

-70.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$545 R 8,755

$1,869 MKD 98.8K

-70.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,641 R 26.4K

$896 MKD 47.4K

83.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

4.25

180.94%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: August 30, 2026

Last update for Skopje: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $633 in Port Elizabeth versus $445 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 83% 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 $44.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $34.00 in Skopje. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Port Elizabeth vs $218 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 6% 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 $1,854 per month in Port Elizabeth and $1,752 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 7% 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 $44.00 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 $1,168, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,236. 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 $1,168 versus $1,236 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.