Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,436 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Cartagena

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,436 in Cartagena, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Cartagena $1,436

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $2,531 in Cartagena, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Cartagena $2,531

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $3,626 in Cartagena, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Cartagena $3,626

Skopje is about 23% cheaper than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Skopje sits 18% below the global median, while Cartagena is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 533

$5.80 COP 18.4K

66.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,890

$139 COP 439.7K

-75.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$10.04 COP 31.8K

-35.06%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$4.36 COP 13.8K

-50.92%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$2.55 COP 8,083

-29.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 76.0

$2.36 COP 7,478

-41.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 148

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$4.92 COP 15.6K

-38.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.3

$1.92 COP 6,089

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.80

$2.86 COP 9,057

-74.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.49 COP 4,700

24.16%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 138

$5.02 COP 15.9K

-50.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$13.24 COP 41.9K

-38.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$17.33 COP 54.8K

-57.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.34

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.36

$2.05 COP 6,491

-71.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$14.43 COP 45.7K

-48.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$1.41 COP 4,449

-24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.85

$1.24 COP 3,929

-42.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,416

$66.1 COP 209.1K

-61.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$4.74 COP 15.0K

-77.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.63

$3.75 COP 11.9K

-84.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$9.54 COP 30.2K

-21.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$1.34 COP 4,246

18.66%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$34.2K COP 108.1M

0.41%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$35.0K COP 110.8M

-25.54%

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

$158 MKD 8,713

$79.2 COP 250.7K

99.84%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$56.3 COP 178.2K

-34.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 955

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$7.98 COP 25.2K

-6.77%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$625 COP 2.0M

-41.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.9K

$5,818 COP 18.4M

-2.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,709

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,584

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,178

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.7K

$1,374 COP 4.3M

-71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.3K

$755 COP 2.4M

-58.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$2,402 COP 7.6M

-70.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$1,602 COP 5.1M

-69.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.5K

$955 COP 3.0M

93.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$466 COP 1.5M

87.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

-71.80%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $1,374 in Cartagena. 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 88% higher in Skopje, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $139 in Cartagena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $261 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

19:14 7:14 PM

6 h behind Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

1,028,736

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.02 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.25 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Skopje Cartagena 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Cartagena

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 29% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $2,154 in Cartagena. 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 $1,374 in Cartagena.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $625 in Cartagena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Cartagena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Skopje and $1,436 in Cartagena. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,112 versus $1,436 in Cartagena. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Skopje is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.