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: $1,143 in Skopje versus $1,017 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,720 in Skopje versus $1,471 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,296 in Skopje versus $1,925 in Irkutsk.

Living in Skopje is roughly 12% more expensive than in Irkutsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 16% lower, Irkutsk 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.35 MKD 497

$6.01 ₽508

55.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.06 MKD 1,864

$29.54 ₽2,496

18.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 MKD 360

$5.97 ₽505

13.57%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MKD 116

$2.95 ₽249

-26.10%

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

$1.90 MKD 101

$1.57 ₽132

21.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 MKD 72.5

$0.67 ₽56.5

102.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 MKD 147

$2.35 ₽199

17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 178

$3.52 ₽297

-4.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MKD 67.2

$1.25 ₽106

0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MKD 43.24

$0.63 ₽53.6

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MKD 101

$2.23 ₽188

-15.25%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 134

$1.61 ₽136

56.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MKD 452

$11.62 ₽982

-26.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 MKD 393

$6.13 ₽518

20.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 MKD 807

$11.08 ₽936

36.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 78.1

$1.87 ₽158

-21.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 75.3

$1.97 ₽166

-27.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 71.6

$1.77 ₽150

-23.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 MKD 112

$3.56 ₽301

-41.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 45.28

$0.72 ₽60.5

18.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MKD 43.02

$0.64 ₽54.4

26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 33.94

$1.75 ₽148

-63.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MKD 32.55

$0.64 ₽54.4

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 MKD 184

$2.75 ₽233

26.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 MKD 390

$7.57 ₽639

-3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 56.2

$1.02 ₽86.2

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.0

$1.95 ₽165

-22.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MKD 40.88

$0.61 ₽51.8

26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,520

$15.96 ₽1,348

79.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MKD 61.0

$1.19 ₽101

-3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.22

$0.18 ₽15.06

244.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 MKD 424

$8.60 ₽727

-7.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 84.3

$0.78 ₽66.2

103.85%

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

$36.7K MKD 1.9M

$29.1K ₽2.5M

25.97%

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

$28.4K MKD 1.5M

$37.0K ₽3.1M

-23.10%

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

$160 MKD 8,502

$118 ₽9,996

35.13%

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

$18.86 MKD 1,003

$5.63 ₽476

234.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 MKD 1,043

$11.61 ₽981

68.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 MKD 1,947

$34.11 ₽2,882

7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 MKD 940

$21.25 ₽1,795

-16.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 MKD 411

$6.43 ₽543

20.22%

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

$364 MKD 19.4K

$296 ₽25.0K

23.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,701 MKD 303.2K

$3,158 ₽266.8K

80.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 MKD 4,702

$58.2 ₽4,916

51.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.29 MKD 2,036

$23.50 ₽1,986

62.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MKD 5,690

$98.1 ₽8,288

9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MKD 6,307

$116 ₽9,783

2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 MKD 23.3K

$432 ₽36.5K

1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 MKD 17.7K

$320 ₽27.1K

3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 MKD 40.6K

$745 ₽62.9K

2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 MKD 27.8K

$424 ₽35.8K

23.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,748 MKD 146.1K

$2,659 ₽224.6K

3.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 MKD 97.7K

$1,779 ₽150.3K

3.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$920 MKD 48.9K

$757 ₽64.0K

21.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

24.57

-82.78%

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

Last update for Skopje: September 14, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Skopje and $432 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 22% 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: $35.00 in Skopje vs $30.00 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $221, with Skopje cheaper for home cooking.

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 12% 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 22% 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: $439 in Skopje versus $432 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $364 in Skopje versus $296 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Skopje pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,017 in Irkutsk versus $1,143 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 $1,017 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 12% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.