Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Gostivar

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $837 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Gostivar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Skopje versus $837 in Gostivar.

Skopje $1,112
Gostivar $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,657 in Skopje versus $1,265 in Gostivar.

Skopje $1,657
Gostivar $1,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,202 in Skopje versus $1,693 in Gostivar.

Skopje $2,202
Gostivar $1,693

Living in Skopje is roughly 33% more expensive than in Gostivar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 18% lower, Gostivar 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 532

$6.56 MKD 361

47.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,889

$27.78 MKD 1,528

23.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$5.85 MKD 322

11.45%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$1.38 MKD 76.0

55.07%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$1.32 MKD 72.7

37.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 75.9

$1.06 MKD 58.6

30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 147

$1.31 MKD 72.3

104.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$1.85 MKD 102

63.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.2

$1.24 MKD 68.1

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.78

$0.71 MKD 38.81

4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.43 MKD 78.4

29.37%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 137

$2.37 MKD 130

5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$6.29 MKD 346

28.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$5.55 MKD 305

32.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

$14.30 MKD 786

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.5

$1.41 MKD 77.5

1.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

$1.41 MKD 77.4

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$1.32 MKD 72.8

-0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$1.86 MKD 102

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.32

$0.83 MKD 45.51

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.75

$0.75 MKD 41.35

4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.65

$0.63 MKD 34.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.34

$0.54 MKD 29.49

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$2.79 MKD 154

20.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$4.44 MKD 244

68.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$0.94 MKD 51.7

12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

$1.44 MKD 79.0

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.83

$0.71 MKD 39.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,415

$25.74 MKD 1,416

-0.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$0.75 MKD 41.47

44.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.62

$0.31 MKD 17.00

83.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$7.77 MKD 427

-3.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$1.42 MKD 78.2

11.97%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$32.4K MKD 1.8M

5.73%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$26.6K MKD 1.5M

-2.01%

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

$158 MKD 8,710

$129 MKD 7,092

22.80%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

$10.81 MKD 595

73.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

$18.72 MKD 1,029

2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$21.69 MKD 1,193

70.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 954

$16.18 MKD 890

7.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$7.09 MKD 390

4.94%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$368 MKD 20.2K

0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

$5,800 MKD 319.0K

-2.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,707

$36.82 MKD 2,025

132.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

$37.07 MKD 2,039

-0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,582

$101 MKD 5,550

0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,176

$112 MKD 6,181

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.6K

$271 MKD 14.9K

45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.2K

$193 MKD 10.6K

62.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$497 MKD 27.3K

43.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$296 MKD 16.3K

63.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

$1,515 MKD 83.3K

81.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

$1,165 MKD 64.1K

58.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$880 MKD 48.4K

-0.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Gostivar

$193 23% 38.6% $121

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Gostivar

$184 21.9% 13% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Gostivar

$158 18.9% 19.3% $38

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Gostivar

$106 12.7% 31.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Gostivar

$129 15.4% 14.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Gostivar

$36 4.3% 30.9% $16

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Gostivar

$31 3.7% 5% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Skopje and $271 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34 in Skopje vs $28 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $184 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

36,000

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Skopje Gostivar 49 km

From you

Skopje
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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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Skopje. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,667 in Skopje and $1,256 in Gostivar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $394 in Skopje versus $271 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Skopje. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,112 per month in Skopje versus $837 in Gostivar – Gostivar is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Gostivar is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.