Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Gostivar Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Gostivar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Skopje versus $798 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,631 in Skopje versus $1,195 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Skopje versus $1,592 in Gostivar.

Living in Skopje is roughly 38% more expensive than Gostivar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 18% lower, Gostivar 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 MKD 397

$5.13 MKD 272

46.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.48 MKD 1,830

$23.07 MKD 1,224

49.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 MKD 358

$4.98 MKD 264

35.54%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MKD 122

$1.39 MKD 73.5

65.47%

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

$2.01 MKD 106

$1.16 MKD 61.7

73.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 68.3

$1.15 MKD 61.0

12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MKD 138

$1.39 MKD 73.7

87.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MKD 175

$1.91 MKD 101

72.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MKD 71.0

$1.34 MKD 71.1

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MKD 41.09

$0.71 MKD 37.73

8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MKD 89.2

$1.54 MKD 81.7

9.09%

Eggs

$2.19 MKD 116

$2.12 MKD 113

3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 MKD 496

$6.39 MKD 339

46.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 MKD 412

$5.52 MKD 293

40.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 MKD 715

$13.64 MKD 724

-1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.7

$1.06 MKD 56.4

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 75.3

$1.44 MKD 76.6

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 73.2

$1.32 MKD 69.9

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MKD 110

$1.58 MKD 83.8

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 46.94

$0.94 MKD 49.73

-6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MKD 49.41

$0.72 MKD 38.34

29.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.58

$0.54 MKD 28.92

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MKD 29.71

$0.56 MKD 29.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 MKD 164

$2.80 MKD 148

10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 MKD 387

$4.60 MKD 244

58.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MKD 59.0

$0.96 MKD 51.0

15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 80.6

$1.53 MKD 81.1

-0.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MKD 41.46

$0.68 MKD 36.30

14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.09 MKD 1,491

$19.86 MKD 1,054

41.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.1

$0.97 MKD 51.7

-1.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MKD 26.27

$0.36 MKD 18.94

38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 MKD 407

$6.47 MKD 343

18.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 78.8

$1.47 MKD 78.2

1.36%

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

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

$31.5K MKD 1.7M

5.94%

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

$29.1K MKD 1.5M

$46.2K MKD 2.5M

-37.01%

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

$159 MKD 8,449

$131 MKD 6,939

21.75%

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

$18.34 MKD 973

$11.32 MKD 601

62.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.12 MKD 1,015

$15.23 MKD 808

25.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.05 MKD 2,072

$26.46 MKD 1,404

47.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 MKD 932

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 MKD 343

$4.79 MKD 254

35.07%

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

$321 MKD 17.0K

$219 MKD 11.6K

46.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,590 MKD 243.5K

$1,209 MKD 64.2K

279.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 MKD 4,161

$37.49 MKD 1,989

109.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 MKD 2,070

$38.20 MKD 2,027

2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,328

$73.7 MKD 3,908

36.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 5,970

$113 MKD 5,985

-0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MKD 22.7K

$283 MKD 15.0K

51.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MKD 16.6K

$193 MKD 10.2K

62.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.2K

$555 MKD 29.5K

16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 MKD 24.1K

$305 MKD 16.2K

49.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,768 MKD 146.9K

$1,656 MKD 87.9K

67.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,796 MKD 95.3K

$1,252 MKD 66.4K

43.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$880 MKD 46.7K

$885 MKD 47.0K

-0.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

6.5

-30.15%

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

Last update for Skopje: June 8, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Skopje and $283 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Skopje vs $23.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $180 per month, with Gostivar 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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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.

On paper, Gostivar earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $429 in Skopje versus $283 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,105 per month in Skopje versus $798 in Gostivar – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 41% less than in Skopje. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $798 in Gostivar versus $1,105 in Skopje, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $798 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.