Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,117 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Skopje vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skopje $1,117
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Skopje vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skopje $1,654
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Skopje vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skopje $2,191
Chiang Mai $1,914

Skopje costs about 19% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Skopje and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 17% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 MKD 507

$2.26 ฿75.4

311.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 MKD 1,857

$19.18 ฿641

77.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 MKD 343

$5.59 ฿187

12.34%

Cappuccino

$2.05 MKD 112

$1.72 ฿57.6

19.19%

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

$1.84 MKD 101

$0.64 ฿21.54

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.3

$0.33 ฿11.18

296.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MKD 146

$2.36 ฿78.7

13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$3.90 ฿130

-20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 MKD 66.7

$2.05 ฿68.6

-40.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.54

$1.40 ฿46.70

-47.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 95.5

$1.28 ฿42.89

36.72%

Eggs

$2.40 MKD 131

$2.25 ฿75.3

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MKD 445

$16.94 ฿566

-51.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 MKD 405

$2.74 ฿91.6

171.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 MKD 810

$9.36 ฿313

58.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$2.40 ฿80.3

-40.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.5

$1.01 ฿33.92

42.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 74.6

$1.61 ฿53.9

-14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 103

$1.52 ฿50.7

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 48.32

$1.28 ฿42.90

-30.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 46.04

$1.11 ฿37.22

-24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.61

$0.72 ฿24.09

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.98

$0.52 ฿17.54

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MKD 185

$4.33 ฿145

-21.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 407

$17.73 ฿593

-57.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$1.63 ฿54.4

-38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MKD 78.3

$2.85 ฿95.3

-49.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 41.68

$0.85 ฿28.31

-10.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 MKD 1,480

$53.9 ฿1,801

-49.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.3

$1.17 ฿39.18

-5.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MKD 33.03

$0.57 ฿19.00

7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 MKD 412

$2.37 ฿79.2

218.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MKD 85.0

$1.45 ฿48.32

7.59%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

70.50%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

3.12%

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

$154 MKD 8,393

$62.3 ฿2,083

146.85%

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

$18.77 MKD 1,024

$12.27 ฿410

52.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 MKD 1,021

$19.97 ฿668

-6.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 MKD 2,073

$37.91 ฿1,267

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 MKD 935

$3.76 ฿126

355.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 MKD 395

$6.71 ฿224

7.90%

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

$351 MKD 19.1K

$797 ฿26.6K

-55.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-61.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,671

$53.3 ฿1,780

60.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 MKD 2,020

$25.05 ฿837

47.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,498

$91.6 ฿3,062

10.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,150

$73.5 ฿2,455

53.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MKD 23.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

-8.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 MKD 17.9K

$305 ฿10.2K

7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 MKD 39.3K

$915 ฿30.6K

-21.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 MKD 26.6K

$552 ฿18.5K

-11.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

41.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

25.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 47.8K

$595 ฿19.9K

47.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

5.57

-24.06%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$328 29.4%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 7.1% $23

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$210 18.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 13.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$191 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 50.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 27.6% $42

Eating Out

Skopje

$150 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 47.3% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 2.2% $1.1

Getting Around

Skopje

$34 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 78.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Skopje versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 47% higher in Skopje, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Skopje versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $210 in Skopje vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Skopje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

5 h ahead of Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Chiang Mai 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 19% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,675 per month in Skopje and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $351 per month in Skopje and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Skopje – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Skopje at $1,117. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,117 in Skopje. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Skopje makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.