Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Bialystok

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,434 in Bialystok, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Bialystok

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 Bialystok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,434 in Bialystok, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Bialystok $1,434

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $2,029 in Bialystok, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Bialystok $2,029

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $2,625 in Bialystok, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Bialystok $2,625

Skopje is about 22% cheaper than Bialystok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Skopje sits 18% below the global median, while Bialystok is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 532

$9.61 zł 37.91

0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,889

$45.44 zł 179

-24.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$8.97 zł 35.37

-27.31%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$3.60 zł 14.21

-40.56%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$1.81 zł 7.13

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 75.9

$1.55 zł 6.10

-10.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 147

$3.36 zł 13.26

-20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$3.02 zł 11.91

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.2

$1.01 zł 3.97

26.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.78

$1.01 zł 4.00

-26.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$2.13 zł 8.40

-13.15%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 137

$3.75 zł 14.79

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$8.99 zł 35.44

-9.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$5.70 zł 22.47

29.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

$11.28 zł 44.49

32.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.5

$1.24 zł 4.91

15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

$1.82 zł 7.16

-22.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$1.64 zł 6.45

-20.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$2.00 zł 7.89

-7.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.32

$1.04 zł 4.11

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.75

$1.15 zł 4.54

-32.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.65

$1.17 zł 4.62

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.34

$0.61 zł 2.40

-3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$5.11 zł 20.14

-34.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$6.20 zł 24.46

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$1.15 zł 4.53

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

$1.47 zł 5.79

2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.83

$1.25 zł 4.93

-43.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,415

$33.13 zł 131

-22.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$2.06 zł 8.12

-47.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.62

$0.69 zł 2.73

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$12.56 zł 49.54

-40.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$1.58 zł 6.23

0.63%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$30.4K zł 119.9K

12.79%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$28.3K zł 111.4K

-7.78%

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

$158 MKD 8,710

$302 zł 1,190

-47.55%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

$8.14 zł 32.10

130.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

$17.99 zł 70.9

6.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$43.77 zł 173

-15.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 954

$26.81 zł 106

-35.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$8.16 zł 32.17

-8.82%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$353 zł 1,392

4.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

$4,215 zł 16.6K

34.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,707

$97.9 zł 386

-12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

$36.30 zł 143

1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,582

$85.5 zł 337

18.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,176

$89.0 zł 351

26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.6K

$558 zł 2,201

-29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.2K

$474 zł 1,871

-33.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$812 zł 3,201

-11.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$669 zł 2,639

-27.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

$2,817 zł 11.1K

-2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

$2,240 zł 8,834

-17.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$1,454 zł 5,734

-39.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

7.07

-40.17%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Bialystok

$474 33.1% 51.3% $161

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Bialystok

$205 14.3% 2.7% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Bialystok

$328 22.9% 67.1% $132

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Bialystok

$183 12.8% 18.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Bialystok

$139 9.7% 8.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Bialystok

$60 4.2% 15.8% $8.2

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Bialystok

$44 3% 34.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $558 in Bialystok. 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 66% higher in Bialystok. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $45 in Bialystok. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Skopje vs $205 in Bialystok – so Bialystok wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

297,554

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, 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).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.94 PLN (1 PLN = 0.254 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skopje Bialystok 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Bialystok

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 Bialystok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bialystok costs about 29% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Skopje and $2,151 in Bialystok. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $558 in Bialystok.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $353 in Bialystok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Bialystok – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Skopje and $1,434 in Bialystok. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Skopje has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,112 in Skopje to $1,434 in Bialystok. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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