Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Irkutsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Irkutsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,054 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Skopje versus $1,712 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Skopje versus $2,370 in Irkutsk.

Living in Skopje is roughly 3% more expensive than in Irkutsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 19% lower, Irkutsk 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 MKD 407

$8.07 ₽630

-6.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.45 MKD 1,794

$35.12 ₽2,744

-4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 MKD 359

$5.61 ₽438

19.43%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MKD 122

$3.05 ₽239

-25.57%

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

$2.03 MKD 109

$1.56 ₽122

30.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 69.2

$0.43 ₽33.52

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MKD 143

$1.62 ₽127

64.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 180

$2.49 ₽194

34.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 69.4

$1.38 ₽108

-6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MKD 40.80

$0.56 ₽43.86

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MKD 89.6

$1.76 ₽138

-5.11%

Eggs

$2.21 MKD 119

$2.29 ₽179

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MKD 490

$15.49 ₽1,210

-41.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 417

$6.51 ₽509

19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 MKD 735

$12.63 ₽987

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 MKD 57.1

$2.34 ₽183

-54.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 76.8

$2.47 ₽193

-42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 72.5

$3.10 ₽242

-56.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 116

$4.78 ₽374

-54.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 47.75

$1.02 ₽79.7

-12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.45

$0.86 ₽67.3

4.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.92

$2.18 ₽171

-68.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.70

$0.72 ₽56.4

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 MKD 170

$3.82 ₽298

-16.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MKD 389

$8.56 ₽669

-15.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 57.2

$1.23 ₽96.0

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.5

$2.28 ₽178

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 40.94

$0.49 ₽38.47

55.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,533

$10.27 ₽802

178.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.6

$1.89 ₽147

-49.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MKD 26.01

$0.33 ₽25.55

45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.41 MKD 397

$4.59 ₽358

61.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.7

$0.79 ₽61.7

88.61%

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

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

$29.6K ₽2.3M

13.88%

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

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

$25.9K ₽2.0M

13.19%

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

$160 MKD 8,574

$93.7 ₽7,320

70.59%

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

$18.05 MKD 968

$6.76 ₽528

167.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,026

$9.29 ₽726

105.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 MKD 2,074

$39.56 ₽3,091

-2.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 931

$14.19 ₽1,108

22.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 MKD 355

$5.00 ₽390

32.40%

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

$320 MKD 17.2K

$283 ₽22.1K

12.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,642 MKD 249.0K

$6,881 ₽537.6K

-32.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 MKD 4,157

$37.49 ₽2,929

106.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MKD 2,154

$38.59 ₽3,015

4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,364

$99.8 ₽7,800

0.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,913

$104 ₽8,146

5.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MKD 22.8K

$549 ₽42.9K

-22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.6K

$335 ₽26.2K

-7.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.6K

$1,176 ₽91.9K

-45.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$759 ₽59.3K

-39.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 MKD 146.5K

$3,032 ₽236.9K

-9.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 MKD 93.3K

$1,821 ₽142.3K

-4.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 MKD 47.5K

$789 ₽61.6K

12.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

19.29

-76.46%

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

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Skopje and $549 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 12% 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: $33.00 in Skopje vs $35.00 in Irkutsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $265 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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Skopje. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $425 in Skopje versus $549 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Skopje versus $283 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Skopje pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,054 in Irkutsk versus $1,087 in Skopje, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irkutsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,054 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irkutsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.