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: $1,182 in Skopje versus $1,076 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,723 in Skopje versus $1,819 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,263 in Skopje versus $2,562 in Cuernavaca.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 14% lower, Cuernavaca 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 511

$8.69 MX$147

11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.37 MKD 1,816

$41.14 MX$698

-16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 MKD 351

$7.50 MX$127

-11.33%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MKD 118

$2.67 MX$45.36

-16.48%

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

$1.86 MKD 98.5

$1.43 MX$24.22

30.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MKD 67.6

$0.68 MX$11.53

88.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 MKD 148

$2.69 MX$45.66

4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MKD 172

$3.51 MX$59.6

-7.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 70.4

$1.85 MX$31.35

-28.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 MKD 41.46

$2.48 MX$42.03

-68.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MKD 102

$1.56 MX$26.41

24.36%

Eggs

$2.47 MKD 131

$2.18 MX$37.00

13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 MKD 461

$8.61 MX$146

1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 MKD 396

$5.18 MX$87.8

44.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 MKD 796

$14.47 MX$245

4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 MKD 80.7

$2.43 MX$41.17

-37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MKD 79.0

$1.45 MX$24.64

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 73.0

$2.43 MX$41.27

-43.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MKD 110

$1.79 MX$30.42

16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 MKD 48.78

$1.92 MX$32.59

-52.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 44.24

$1.87 MX$31.77

-55.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MKD 32.51

$1.63 MX$27.66

-61.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MKD 30.31

$0.96 MX$16.37

-40.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 MKD 192

$4.82 MX$81.8

-24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 MKD 389

$9.07 MX$154

-18.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MKD 57.5

$1.34 MX$22.68

-18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 MKD 82.3

$3.50 MX$59.4

-55.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MKD 42.10

$0.56 MX$9.53

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 MKD 1,487

$29.80 MX$506

-5.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 58.4

$2.11 MX$35.85

-47.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 MKD 35.75

$2.77 MX$47.00

-75.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 MKD 422

$11.62 MX$197

-31.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MKD 81.2

$1.46 MX$24.73

5.48%

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

$37.0K MKD 2.0M

$22.6K MX$383.5K

63.74%

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

$28.4K MKD 1.5M

$25.4K MX$431.3K

11.67%

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

$168 MKD 8,854

$64.4 MX$1,092

160.37%

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

$19.55 MKD 1,033

$19.57 MX$332

-0.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.73 MKD 1,042

$27.46 MX$466

-28.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.05 MKD 2,010

$28.38 MX$481

34.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.83 MKD 942

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MKD 377

$6.02 MX$102

18.44%

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

$389 MKD 20.5K

$234 MX$3,966

66.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,501 MKD 290.6K

$5,418 MX$91.9K

1.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 MKD 4,837

$43.69 MX$741

109.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.71 MKD 2,098

$34.87 MX$592

13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MKD 5,629

$101 MX$1,717

5.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 6,023

$104 MX$1,768

9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 MKD 23.4K

$421 MX$7,136

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 MKD 17.9K

$354 MX$6,012

-4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 MKD 39.6K

$1,008 MX$17.1K

-25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 MKD 28.3K

$862 MX$14.6K

-37.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,778 MKD 146.8K

$957 MX$16.2K

190.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,892 MKD 99.9K

$652 MX$11.1K

189.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$906 MKD 47.9K

$709 MX$12.0K

27.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

11.4

-62.72%

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

Last update for Skopje: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Skopje and $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 28% 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 $41.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $252 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $443 in Skopje versus $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Skopje pay roughly 16% 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 $41.00 versus $34.00 in Skopje. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,182 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.