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: $1,112 in Skopje versus $985 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Skopje versus $1,667 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,116 in Skopje versus $2,350 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Skopje is roughly 13% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 17% lower, Cuernavaca 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 MKD 391

$9.83 MX$170

-24.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 MKD 1,782

$37.65 MX$653

-9.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 MKD 348

$6.90 MX$120

-3.77%

Cappuccino

$2.28 MKD 120

$2.23 MX$38.70

2.24%

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

$2.00 MKD 105

$1.29 MX$22.38

55.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 64.7

$0.78 MX$13.45

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MKD 141

$2.23 MX$38.64

20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MKD 172

$3.15 MX$54.6

4.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 67.3

$1.55 MX$26.90

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MKD 39.97

$1.74 MX$30.22

-56.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MKD 88.7

$1.38 MX$23.94

22.46%

Eggs

$2.26 MKD 119

$1.79 MX$31.05

26.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 MKD 496

$8.12 MX$141

16.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 MKD 423

$6.19 MX$107

30.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 MKD 710

$13.26 MX$230

2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.1

$2.15 MX$37.21

-50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 70.9

$1.27 MX$22.03

6.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 69.1

$1.80 MX$31.23

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MKD 111

$1.61 MX$27.84

31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 45.64

$1.72 MX$29.73

-49.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MKD 51.0

$1.89 MX$32.78

-48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 MKD 35.69

$0.97 MX$16.77

-29.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MKD 29.20

$0.71 MX$12.31

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 MKD 172

$4.16 MX$72.0

-21.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 MKD 409

$8.86 MX$154

-11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 56.1

$1.14 MX$19.82

-6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 MKD 77.9

$2.88 MX$49.97

-48.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 37.47

$0.54 MX$9.41

31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.22 MKD 1,479

$26.38 MX$457

6.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MKD 51.2

$1.90 MX$32.86

-48.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.51

$1.19 MX$20.68

-58.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 MKD 397

$8.98 MX$156

-15.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MKD 76.4

$1.25 MX$21.66

16.80%

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

$33.4K MKD 1.7M

$18.3K MX$316.7K

82.54%

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

$29.9K MKD 1.6M

$20.5K MX$355.9K

45.41%

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

$160 MKD 8,384

$60.2 MX$1,043

165.78%

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

$17.86 MKD 936

$22.75 MX$394

-21.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 MKD 994

$28.66 MX$497

-33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.57 MKD 2,074

$22.68 MX$393

74.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 MKD 923

$16.11 MX$279

9.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 MKD 347

$5.43 MX$94.1

21.92%

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

$323 MKD 16.9K

$211 MX$3,658

53.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,523 MKD 237.0K

$4,851 MX$84.1K

-6.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 MKD 4,064

$46.77 MX$810

65.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 MKD 2,058

$39.86 MX$691

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MKD 5,354

$99.8 MX$1,729

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 MKD 5,820

$83.0 MX$1,438

33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 MKD 22.8K

$369 MX$6,396

17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MKD 16.1K

$323 MX$5,604

-4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 MKD 32.6K

$904 MX$15.7K

-31.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MKD 24.3K

$785 MX$13.6K

-41.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,867 MKD 150.2K

$941 MX$16.3K

204.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,823 MKD 95.5K

$625 MX$10.8K

191.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 MKD 46.6K

$690 MX$12.0K

28.74%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Skopje and $369 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 29% 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 in Skopje vs $38 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $225 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Skopje pays 29% 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: $435 in Skopje versus $369 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 $38.00 versus $34.00 in Skopje. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $985 in Cuernavaca versus $1,112 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 13% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.