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: $1,112 in Skopje versus $1,023 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,621 in Skopje versus $1,714 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,130 in Skopje versus $2,405 in Irkutsk.

Living in Skopje is roughly 9% more expensive than Irkutsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 17% lower, Irkutsk 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 MKD 399

$8.30 ₽606

-8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.02 MKD 1,793

$35.10 ₽2,562

-3.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 MKD 350

$5.60 ₽409

18.75%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MKD 115

$3.06 ₽223

-28.43%

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

$1.94 MKD 102

$1.49 ₽109

30.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MKD 67.5

$0.42 ₽30.99

204.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MKD 142

$1.55 ₽113

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MKD 183

$2.58 ₽189

34.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MKD 70.7

$1.39 ₽101

-3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MKD 43.38

$0.58 ₽42.11

41.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 92.4

$1.73 ₽126

1.16%

Eggs

$2.19 MKD 115

$2.21 ₽161

-0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 MKD 486

$14.94 ₽1,091

-38.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 MKD 421

$6.36 ₽465

25.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 MKD 719

$12.60 ₽920

8.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 MKD 53.4

$2.23 ₽163

-54.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 74.5

$2.50 ₽183

-43.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 69.6

$3.03 ₽221

-56.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 115

$4.70 ₽343

-53.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 46.57

$1.08 ₽78.6

-18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 MKD 48.53

$0.92 ₽67.0

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 MKD 37.43

$2.16 ₽158

-67.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MKD 30.60

$0.72 ₽52.3

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 MKD 166

$3.75 ₽274

-16.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 MKD 391

$9.65 ₽704

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 55.9

$1.19 ₽87.1

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MKD 79.8

$2.38 ₽173

-36.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MKD 40.44

$0.49 ₽36.02

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 MKD 1,458

$9.99 ₽729

176.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MKD 51.5

$1.85 ₽135

-47.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.61

$0.33 ₽24.07

48.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 MKD 400

$4.68 ₽342

62.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.3

$0.82 ₽60.1

79.27%

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

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

$29.6K ₽2.2M

15.12%

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

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

$25.6K ₽1.9M

15.58%

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

$160 MKD 8,446

$95.9 ₽7,002

67.05%

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

$18.34 MKD 966

$6.83 ₽499

168.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,008

$9.34 ₽682

104.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.37 MKD 2,022

$38.98 ₽2,845

-1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 MKD 925

$14.31 ₽1,045

22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 MKD 354

$4.97 ₽363

35.21%

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

$312 MKD 16.5K

$282 ₽20.6K

10.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,509 MKD 237.6K

$6,973 ₽509.0K

-35.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 MKD 4,067

$36.85 ₽2,689

109.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 MKD 2,131

$38.60 ₽2,817

4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,275

$102 ₽7,421

-1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,810

$105 ₽7,685

4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MKD 22.6K

$551 ₽40.2K

-22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.3K

$331 ₽24.2K

-6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.0K

$1,165 ₽85.0K

-44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 MKD 24.2K

$751 ₽54.8K

-38.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 MKD 147.6K

$3,153 ₽230.1K

-11.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,829 MKD 96.4K

$1,938 ₽141.4K

-5.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$913 MKD 48.1K

$816 ₽59.5K

11.90%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Skopje and $551 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: $34.00 in Skopje vs $35.00 in Irkutsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $264 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 9% 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.

Skopje pays 12% more on average, 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: $429 in Skopje versus $551 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Skopje versus $282 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Skopje pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,023 in Irkutsk versus $1,112 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 $1,023 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 9% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.