Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Bandar Seri Begawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Bandar Seri Begawan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,168 per month in Skopje vs $1,168 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,738 per month in Skopje vs $1,692 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,308 per month in Skopje vs $2,216 in Bandar Seri Begawan, rent included.

Skopje and Bandar Seri Begawan have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Skopje and Bandar Seri Begawan are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 15% lower, Bandar Seri Begawan 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.46 MKD 500

$3.88 BND 4.93

143.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.97 MKD 1,795

$27.86 BND 35.40

21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 MKD 356

$6.14 BND 7.81

9.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 BND 3.09

Cappuccino

$2.13 MKD 113

$3.84 BND 4.88

-44.53%

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

$1.88 MKD 99.3

$0.96 BND 1.22

95.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MKD 68.8

$0.50 BND 0.64

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 MKD 146

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MKD 166

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 68.2

$1.88 BND 2.39

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MKD 43.20

$1.76 BND 2.24

-53.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 100

$1.20 BND 1.53

58.33%

Eggs

$2.47 MKD 131

$2.06 BND 2.62

19.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 MKD 466

$9.33 BND 11.86

-5.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MKD 400

$4.64 BND 5.89

62.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 MKD 799

$10.90 BND 13.86

38.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 MKD 78.2

$3.08 BND 3.92

-51.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MKD 79.2

$2.23 BND 2.83

-32.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 72.8

$2.89 BND 3.68

-52.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MKD 109

$2.59 BND 3.30

-20.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 46.38

$1.68 BND 2.13

-47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 44.30

$2.05 BND 2.60

-59.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 MKD 34.23

$3.21 BND 4.09

-79.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MKD 30.86

$0.82 BND 1.04

-29.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.31 BND 29.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 BND 4.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 MKD 194

$15.65 BND 19.89

-76.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 395

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MKD 55.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 MKD 83.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MKD 41.34

$0.56 BND 0.72

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MKD 1,470

$0.75 BND 0.95

3609.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 59.2

$3.82 BND 4.85

-70.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 MKD 35.54

$3.38 BND 4.29

-80.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 MKD 417

$11.59 BND 14.73

-31.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MKD 85.4

$0.38 BND 0.49

326.32%

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

$37.5K MKD 2.0M

$43.6K BND 55.5K

-14.12%

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

$28.0K MKD 1.5M

$37.0K BND 47.0K

-24.37%

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

$166 MKD 8,749

$61.7 BND 78.4

168.30%

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

$19.14 MKD 1,011

$20.53 BND 26.10

-6.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.69 MKD 1,041

$66.2 BND 84.2

-70.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 MKD 2,039

$40.04 BND 50.9

-3.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 MKD 964

$7.20 BND 9.16

153.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 MKD 386

$5.65 BND 7.18

29.38%

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

$390 MKD 20.6K

$218 BND 277

78.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,550 MKD 293.3K

$9,765 BND 12.4K

-43.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 MKD 4,734

$76.8 BND 97.6

16.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 MKD 2,122

$94.0 BND 120

-57.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MKD 5,680

$108 BND 137

-0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MKD 6,151

$71.5 BND 90.9

62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 MKD 23.5K

$712 BND 904

-37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 MKD 17.8K

$471 BND 599

-28.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 MKD 40.4K

$1,131 BND 1,438

-32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 MKD 28.0K

$689 BND 876

-23.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 MKD 143.2K

$3,074 BND 3,907

-11.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 MKD 98.8K

$2,364 BND 3,004

-20.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$896 MKD 47.4K

$1,807 BND 2,296

-50.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

3.88

9.54%

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

Last update for Skopje: August 29, 2026

Last update for Bandar Seri Begawan: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Skopje versus $712 in Bandar Seri Begawan. 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 102% higher in Bandar Seri Begawan. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Skopje versus $28.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in Skopje vs $219 in Bandar Seri Begawan – so Skopje 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

Skopje vs Bandar Seri Begawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,752 per month in Skopje and $1,753 in Bandar Seri Begawan. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Skopje and $28.00 in Bandar Seri Begawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 3609% less in Skopje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,168, than in Bandar Seri Begawan at $1,168. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bandar Seri Begawan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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