Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Astrakhan Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Astrakhan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,013 in Astrakhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Skopje versus $1,520 in Astrakhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Skopje versus $2,027 in Astrakhan.

Living in Skopje is roughly 7% more expensive than in Astrakhan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 19% lower, Astrakhan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 MKD 407

$10.59 ₽828

-28.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.45 MKD 1,794

$33.58 ₽2,623

-0.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 MKD 359

$7.48 ₽585

-10.43%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MKD 122

$1.93 ₽151

17.62%

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

$2.03 MKD 109

$0.90 ₽70.5

125.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 69.2

$0.52 ₽40.79

148.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MKD 143

$1.29 ₽101

106.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 180

$2.62 ₽204

27.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 69.4

$1.29 ₽101

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MKD 40.80

$1.06 ₽83.1

-28.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MKD 89.6

$1.07 ₽83.6

56.07%

Eggs

$2.21 MKD 119

$1.76 ₽138

25.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MKD 490

$24.67 ₽1,928

-62.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 417

$4.98 ₽389

56.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 MKD 735

$6.61 ₽517

107.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 MKD 57.1

$1.55 ₽121

-31.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 76.8

$1.79 ₽140

-20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 72.5

$1.64 ₽128

-17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 116

$2.40 ₽188

-9.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 47.75

$0.95 ₽73.9

-6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.45

$0.57 ₽44.31

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.92

$1.45 ₽113

-52.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.70

$0.60 ₽47.23

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 MKD 170

$1.85 ₽145

71.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MKD 389

$3.99 ₽311

81.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 57.2

$1.05 ₽82.0

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.5

$1.85 ₽145

-17.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 40.94

$0.49 ₽38.01

55.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,533

$22.13 ₽1,729

29.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.6

$2.53 ₽198

-62.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MKD 26.01

$0.35 ₽27.49

37.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.41 MKD 397

$3.78 ₽296

96.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.7

$0.93 ₽72.8

60.22%

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

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

$34.9K ₽2.7M

-3.63%

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

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

$32.1K ₽2.5M

-8.93%

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

$160 MKD 8,574

$104 ₽8,092

54.32%

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

$18.05 MKD 968

$6.32 ₽494

185.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,026

$5.57 ₽435

243.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 MKD 2,074

$49.01 ₽3,829

-21.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 931

$25.01 ₽1,954

-30.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 MKD 355

$5.29 ₽413

25.14%

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

$320 MKD 17.2K

$116 ₽9,096

174.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,642 MKD 249.0K

$6,914 ₽540.1K

-32.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 MKD 4,157

$57.2 ₽4,469

35.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MKD 2,154

$31.36 ₽2,450

28.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,364

$88.5 ₽6,912

13.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,913

$127 ₽9,901

-13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MKD 22.8K

$408 ₽31.9K

4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.6K

$323 ₽25.2K

-3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.6K

$437 ₽34.1K

47.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$377 ₽29.5K

22.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 MKD 146.5K

$1,282 ₽100.2K

112.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 MKD 93.3K

$649 ₽50.7K

168.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 MKD 47.5K

$429 ₽33.5K

106.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

15.33

-70.38%

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

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Last update for Astrakhan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Skopje and $408 in Astrakhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 106% 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: $33.00 in Skopje vs $34.00 in Astrakhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $225 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

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 Astrakhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje and Astrakhan differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $1,013 including rent). Astrakhan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Skopje, 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: $425 in Skopje versus $408 in Astrakhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Astrakhan runs roughly 29% less than in Skopje. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $320 in Skopje versus $116 in Astrakhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Astrakhan versus $1,087 in Skopje, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Astrakhan but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Astrakhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Astrakhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.