Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Cuernavaca Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Cuernavaca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Skopje versus $1,000 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,631 in Skopje versus $1,665 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Skopje versus $2,329 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Skopje is roughly 10% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 18% lower, Cuernavaca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 MKD 397

$9.41 MX$164

-20.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.48 MKD 1,830

$36.50 MX$636

-5.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 MKD 358

$6.95 MX$121

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MKD 122

$2.25 MX$39.27

2.22%

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

$2.01 MKD 106

$1.30 MX$22.58

54.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 68.3

$0.78 MX$13.54

65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MKD 138

$2.31 MX$40.25

12.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MKD 175

$3.09 MX$53.8

6.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MKD 71.0

$1.55 MX$26.94

-13.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MKD 41.09

$1.72 MX$30.03

-55.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MKD 89.2

$1.34 MX$23.37

25.37%

Eggs

$2.19 MKD 116

$1.86 MX$32.46

17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 MKD 496

$8.11 MX$141

15.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 MKD 412

$6.21 MX$108

24.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 MKD 715

$13.05 MX$227

3.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.7

$2.14 MX$37.28

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 75.3

$1.33 MX$23.20

6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 73.2

$1.71 MX$29.81

-19.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MKD 110

$1.56 MX$27.23

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 46.94

$1.73 MX$30.21

-49.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MKD 49.41

$1.89 MX$32.85

-50.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.58

$0.96 MX$16.73

-28.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MKD 29.71

$0.77 MX$13.46

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 MKD 164

$4.10 MX$71.5

-24.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 MKD 387

$8.47 MX$147

-13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MKD 59.0

$1.12 MX$19.48

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 80.6

$2.89 MX$50.3

-47.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MKD 41.46

$0.55 MX$9.53

41.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.09 MKD 1,491

$26.25 MX$457

7.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.1

$1.88 MX$32.83

-48.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MKD 26.27

$1.24 MX$21.61

-59.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 MKD 407

$9.47 MX$165

-18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 78.8

$1.27 MX$22.20

17.32%

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

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

$18.7K MX$325.7K

78.64%

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

$29.1K MKD 1.5M

$20.7K MX$360.5K

40.76%

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

$159 MKD 8,449

$60.5 MX$1,054

163.15%

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

$18.34 MKD 973

$22.55 MX$393

-18.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.12 MKD 1,015

$28.25 MX$492

-32.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.05 MKD 2,072

$22.93 MX$400

70.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 MKD 932

$15.70 MX$274

11.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 MKD 343

$5.43 MX$94.5

19.15%

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

$321 MKD 17.0K

$212 MX$3,689

51.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,590 MKD 243.5K

$4,925 MX$85.8K

-6.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 MKD 4,161

$48.01 MX$836

63.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 MKD 2,070

$39.50 MX$688

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,328

$100 MX$1,747

0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 5,970

$82.0 MX$1,429

37.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MKD 22.7K

$380 MX$6,626

12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MKD 16.6K

$312 MX$5,434

0.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.2K

$899 MX$15.7K

-28.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 MKD 24.1K

$773 MX$13.5K

-41.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,768 MKD 146.9K

$903 MX$15.7K

206.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,796 MKD 95.3K

$632 MX$11.0K

184.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$880 MKD 46.7K

$679 MX$11.8K

29.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

11.33

-59.93%

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

Last update for Skopje: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Skopje and $380 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 30% 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 $36.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $224 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Skopje pays 30% more on average, 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: $429 in Skopje versus $380 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Skopje pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $34.00 in Skopje. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,105 in Skopje, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.