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: $1,094 in Skopje versus $994 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,636 in Skopje versus $1,697 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Skopje versus $2,399 in Cuernavaca.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 18% lower, Cuernavaca 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 MKD 399

$9.86 MX$172

-24.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.79 MKD 1,817

$37.73 MX$658

-10.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 MKD 357

$7.00 MX$122

-5.00%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MKD 120

$2.34 MX$40.90

-4.27%

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

$2.04 MKD 110

$1.32 MX$22.98

54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 69.5

$0.74 MX$12.83

74.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MKD 140

$2.27 MX$39.63

14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 MKD 184

$3.09 MX$53.9

11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 68.5

$1.53 MX$26.75

-16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 MKD 45.08

$1.78 MX$31.01

-52.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MKD 91.0

$1.38 MX$24.07

22.46%

Eggs

$2.17 MKD 117

$1.81 MX$31.55

19.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 MKD 498

$8.16 MX$142

13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 MKD 430

$6.31 MX$110

26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 MKD 721

$13.15 MX$229

1.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 MKD 55.0

$2.11 MX$36.88

-51.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 73.4

$1.27 MX$22.24

7.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 73.5

$1.74 MX$30.29

-21.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MKD 112

$1.56 MX$27.27

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 47.21

$1.79 MX$31.30

-50.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MKD 51.9

$1.87 MX$32.64

-48.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 MKD 39.24

$0.98 MX$17.01

-25.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 31.62

$0.72 MX$12.56

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 MKD 175

$4.21 MX$73.5

-22.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 MKD 407

$8.59 MX$150

-11.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MKD 56.7

$1.14 MX$19.93

-7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 MKD 83.5

$2.85 MX$49.79

-45.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MKD 41.38

$0.55 MX$9.55

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.16 MKD 1,514

$26.91 MX$469

4.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MKD 52.6

$1.87 MX$32.68

-47.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MKD 28.46

$1.20 MX$20.94

-55.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 MKD 415

$9.38 MX$164

-17.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 79.1

$1.23 MX$21.41

19.51%

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

$34.2K MKD 1.8M

$18.4K MX$320.1K

86.56%

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

$29.4K MKD 1.6M

$20.8K MX$363.4K

41.34%

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

$160 MKD 8,582

$60.4 MX$1,053

164.33%

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

$17.94 MKD 965

$22.92 MX$400

-21.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.42 MKD 1,044

$28.54 MX$498

-31.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 MKD 2,078

$22.81 MX$398

69.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 MKD 965

$15.71 MX$274

14.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 MKD 346

$5.15 MX$89.8

25.05%

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

$312 MKD 16.8K

$208 MX$3,626

50.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,479 MKD 240.8K

$4,854 MX$84.7K

-7.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 MKD 4,096

$47.44 MX$827

60.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 MKD 2,129

$40.16 MX$700

-1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,391

$97.9 MX$1,707

2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 MKD 5,984

$83.8 MX$1,462

32.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MKD 22.7K

$371 MX$6,477

13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 MKD 16.6K

$317 MX$5,533

-2.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MKD 34.5K

$917 MX$16.0K

-30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MKD 25.1K

$791 MX$13.8K

-40.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,687 MKD 144.5K

$925 MX$16.1K

190.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,745 MKD 93.8K

$644 MX$11.2K

170.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$882 MKD 47.4K

$681 MX$11.9K

29.59%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Skopje and $371 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 $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $422 in Skopje versus $371 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 $994 in Cuernavaca versus $1,094 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.