Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,131 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Skopje versus $934 in Cebu.

Skopje $1,131
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,675 in Skopje versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Skopje $1,675
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,220 in Skopje versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Skopje $2,220
Cebu $1,896

Living in Skopje is roughly 21% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 16% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 MKD 525

$3.03 ₱190

216.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.25 MKD 1,877

$23.48 ₱1,473

45.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 MKD 353

$4.09 ₱256

57.70%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 117

$2.52 ₱158

-15.08%

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

$1.81 MKD 98.9

$1.54 ₱96.9

17.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.9

$0.49 ₱30.98

167.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 MKD 149

$1.79 ₱112

51.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 171

$2.26 ₱142

37.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 70.4

$1.95 ₱122

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.67

$1.43 ₱89.7

-48.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 MKD 101

$1.02 ₱63.8

80.39%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 138

$2.06 ₱129

22.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 MKD 433

$9.81 ₱615

-19.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 MKD 415

$4.61 ₱289

64.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 822

$7.70 ₱483

94.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 MKD 81.0

$3.31 ₱207

-55.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.6

$1.45 ₱90.9

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 73.4

$2.36 ₱148

-43.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MKD 107

$1.54 ₱96.4

26.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.33

$2.36 ₱148

-61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 46.40

$1.99 ₱125

-57.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 34.81

$1.15 ₱72.1

-44.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 30.01

$0.67 ₱42.15

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 MKD 193

$3.00 ₱188

17.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 MKD 387

$6.35 ₱398

11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.1

$1.31 ₱81.9

-19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MKD 79.2

$1.73 ₱108

-16.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MKD 41.26

$0.25 ₱15.78

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.74 MKD 1,520

$12.65 ₱793

119.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.8

$0.74 ₱46.32

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.87

$0.21 ₱13.11

195.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 MKD 422

$4.33 ₱271

78.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MKD 88.5

$1.33 ₱83.5

21.80%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

60.51%

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

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

42.83%

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

$153 MKD 8,410

$121 ₱7,563

27.27%

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

$18.75 MKD 1,027

$14.45 ₱907

29.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.33 MKD 1,059

$28.29 ₱1,774

-31.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.53 MKD 2,111

$32.68 ₱2,050

17.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 MKD 967

$6.39 ₱401

176.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 MKD 392

$5.46 ₱342

30.95%

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

$358 MKD 19.6K

$273 ₱17.1K

30.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,690 MKD 311.8K

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-30.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 MKD 4,610

$49.57 ₱3,109

69.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 MKD 2,040

$24.87 ₱1,560

49.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MKD 5,620

$76.6 ₱4,804

33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,136

$59.3 ₱3,717

88.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 MKD 22.8K

$506 ₱31.7K

-17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 MKD 17.9K

$309 ₱19.4K

5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 MKD 40.1K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-30.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MKD 27.2K

$619 ₱38.8K

-19.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,702 MKD 148.1K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-7.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 MKD 99.0K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-3.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$877 MKD 48.1K

$341 ₱21.4K

157.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

7.2

-41.25%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$327 29.1%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 5.3% $17

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 18.8%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 0.4% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$192 17.1%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 14.7% $28

Eating Out

Skopje

$154 13.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 42.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.5%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 37.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$53 4.7%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 17.5% $9.2

Getting Around

Skopje

$35 3.1%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 55.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Skopje and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 157% 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: $34.00 in Skopje vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

6 h ahead of Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.46 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Cebu 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 157% 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: $416 in Skopje versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,131 per month in Skopje versus $934 in Cebu – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 119% less than in Skopje. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,131 in Skopje, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Skopje, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Skopje and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.