Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,117 a month against $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Elizabeth and in Skopje

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Elizabeth and in Skopje actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,117 in Skopje, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,216
Skopje $1,117

A couple spends around $1,835 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,654 in Skopje, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,835
Skopje $1,654

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,191 in Skopje, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,453
Skopje $2,191

Port Elizabeth costs about 9% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Port Elizabeth and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 R 181

$9.29 MKD 507

18.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.67 R 687

$34.04 MKD 1,857

22.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 R 96.2

$6.28 MKD 343

-7.01%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.81

$2.05 MKD 112

5.85%

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

$1.03 R 16.91

$1.84 MKD 101

-44.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.59

$1.31 MKD 71.3

-41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.37

$2.67 MKD 146

0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.3

$3.11 MKD 170

4.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.39

$1.22 MKD 66.7

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.20

$0.74 MKD 40.54

40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.94

$1.75 MKD 95.5

-13.71%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.35

$2.40 MKD 131

17.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 141

$8.16 MKD 445

5.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 87.7

$7.43 MKD 405

-28.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 R 138

$14.85 MKD 810

-43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.04

$1.43 MKD 78.1

53.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.44 MKD 78.5

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.04

$1.37 MKD 74.6

24.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.74

$1.90 MKD 103

-4.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.41

$0.89 MKD 48.32

86.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.83

$0.84 MKD 46.04

72.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.72

$0.63 MKD 34.61

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.39

$0.55 MKD 29.98

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 53.8

$3.40 MKD 185

-4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.4

$7.47 MKD 407

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.99

$1.01 MKD 55.2

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.00

$1.43 MKD 78.3

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R 18.17

$0.76 MKD 41.68

44.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 R 604

$27.14 MKD 1,480

35.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 R 33.68

$1.11 MKD 60.3

83.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.25

$0.61 MKD 33.03

-18.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$7.55 MKD 412

11.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.38

$1.56 MKD 85.0

-5.13%

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

$35.8K R 589.5K

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

2.50%

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

$34.1K R 562.5K

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

24.88%

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

$125 R 2,058

$154 MKD 8,393

-18.81%

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

$34.90 R 575

$18.77 MKD 1,024

85.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.55 R 734

$18.72 MKD 1,021

137.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.20 R 530

$38.00 MKD 2,073

-15.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 R 383

$17.14 MKD 935

35.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 R 177

$7.24 MKD 395

48.34%

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

$177 R 2,924

$351 MKD 19.1K

-49.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,046 R 99.6K

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

5.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 R 1,193

$85.6 MKD 4,671

-15.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 R 631

$37.04 MKD 2,020

3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,806

$101 MKD 5,498

8.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 R 1,574

$113 MKD 6,150

-15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 R 9,859

$422 MKD 23.0K

41.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 R 6,838

$328 MKD 17.9K

26.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.3K

$721 MKD 39.3K

12.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.2K

$487 MKD 26.6K

39.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$764 R 12.6K

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

-71.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,604

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

-71.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,625 R 26.8K

$876 MKD 47.8K

85.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

4.23

182.27%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1%

Skopje

$328 29.4% 21% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8%

Skopje

$191 17.1% 6.4% $13

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Skopje

$210 18.8% 6.6% $13

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1%

Skopje

$150 13.4% 5.5% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 6.4% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 2.3% $1.2

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8%

Skopje

$34 3.1% 24.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $598 in Port Elizabeth versus $422 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 86% 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 $42.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $34.00 in Skopje. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Port Elizabeth vs $210 in Skopje – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Skopje 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
Skopje

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 9% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,824 per month in Port Elizabeth and $1,675 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 $42.00 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 $1,117, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,216. 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 $1,117 versus $1,216 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.