Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Abakan

For one person, living is cheaper in Abakan: $961 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Abakan
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Abakan Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Abakan

🇷🇺 Russia

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Abakan

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $961 in Abakan, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Abakan $961

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $1,491 in Abakan, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Abakan $1,491

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $2,022 in Abakan, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Abakan $2,022

Skopje costs about 16% more than Abakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Skopje and Abakan are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Abakan 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 532

$11.59 ₽934

-16.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,889

$34.29 ₽2,762

0.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$6.61 ₽532

-1.36%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$3.08 ₽248

-30.52%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$1.15 ₽92.2

57.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 75.9

$0.49 ₽39.30

181.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 147

$1.78 ₽143

50.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$3.01 ₽243

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.2

$1.33 ₽107

-3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.78

$0.84 ₽67.8

-11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$2.03 ₽163

-8.87%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 137

$1.88 ₽151

32.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$12.97 ₽1,045

-37.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$6.11 ₽492

20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

$11.83 ₽953

26.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.5

$2.15 ₽173

-33.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

$1.92 ₽155

-26.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$2.22 ₽179

-40.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$3.31 ₽266

-43.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.32

$0.60 ₽48.55

46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.75

$0.60 ₽48.18

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.65

$1.25 ₽100

-49.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.34

$0.77 ₽61.8

-23.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$2.69 ₽217

24.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$8.05 ₽648

-7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$0.95 ₽76.9

11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

$1.52 ₽123

-1.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.83

$0.45 ₽36.27

57.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,415

$30.98 ₽2,495

-16.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$2.42 ₽195

-55.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.62

$0.38 ₽30.57

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$5.82 ₽469

28.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$0.95 ₽76.9

67.37%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$46.0K ₽3.7M

-25.37%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$44.5K ₽3.6M

-41.47%

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

$158 MKD 8,710

$81.7 ₽6,577

93.89%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

$6.55 ₽527

187.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

$9.55 ₽769

101.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$37.30 ₽3,004

-0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 954

$21.83 ₽1,758

-20.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$6.47 ₽521

14.99%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$349 ₽28.1K

5.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

$5,938 ₽478.2K

-4.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,707

$43.54 ₽3,506

96.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

$54.5 ₽4,388

-32.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,582

$108 ₽8,664

-5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,176

$80.2 ₽6,456

40.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.6K

$359 ₽28.9K

9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.2K

$245 ₽19.7K

28.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$547 ₽44.0K

30.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$373 ₽30.0K

29.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

$2,357 ₽189.8K

16.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

$1,721 ₽138.6K

7.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$627 ₽50.5K

39.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

21.45

-80.28%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Abakan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Abakan

$245 25.5% 21.9% $69

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Abakan

$231 24.1% 9.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Abakan

$98 10.2% 50.2% $99

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Abakan

$171 17.8% 10.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Abakan

$129 13.4% 15% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Abakan

$50 5.2% 3.2% $1.7

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Abakan

$37 3.9% 14.1% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $359 in Abakan. 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 40% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $34 in Abakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $231 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇷🇺 Abakan

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

12:29 12:29 PM

6 h ahead of Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

187,239

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Abakan 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Abakan

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

Skopje vs Abakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Skopje is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Skopje and $1,441 in Abakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $394 in Skopje and $359 in Abakan. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,112 in Skopje and $961 in Abakan. That makes Abakan about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $349 in Abakan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Abakan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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