Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,131 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $1,131 per month in Skopje vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Skopje $1,131
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,675 per month in Skopje vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Skopje $1,675
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $2,220 per month in Skopje vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Skopje $2,220
Istanbul $3,272

Skopje is about 26% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Skopje sits 16% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 MKD 523

$11.88 ₺585

-19.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.25 MKD 1,870

$55.1 ₺2,715

-37.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 MKD 352

$9.14 ₺450

-29.43%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 117

$4.24 ₺209

-49.53%

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

$1.81 MKD 98.6

$1.75 ₺86.0

3.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.6

$0.54 ₺26.84

142.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 MKD 148

$4.69 ₺231

-42.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$5.97 ₺294

-47.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 70.2

$1.26 ₺62.1

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.52

$0.95 ₺46.82

-22.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 MKD 100

$2.31 ₺114

-20.35%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 138

$2.47 ₺122

2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 MKD 431

$10.55 ₺520

-25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 MKD 413

$5.60 ₺276

35.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 819

$21.21 ₺1,045

-29.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 MKD 80.7

$1.93 ₺95.1

-23.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.3

$2.29 ₺113

-36.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 73.1

$1.28 ₺63.1

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MKD 106

$1.84 ₺90.8

5.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.14

$0.67 ₺32.87

34.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 46.22

$0.59 ₺29.31

44.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 34.67

$1.33 ₺65.4

-51.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.89

$0.59 ₺29.11

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 MKD 192

$2.36 ₺116

49.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 MKD 386

$13.47 ₺664

-47.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 57.9

$2.42 ₺119

-56.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MKD 78.9

$3.54 ₺174

-59.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MKD 41.10

$0.83 ₺40.65

-9.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.74 MKD 1,514

$66.5 ₺3,274

-58.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.6

$1.35 ₺66.6

-17.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.74

$0.85 ₺42.06

-27.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 MKD 421

$10.86 ₺535

-29.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MKD 88.2

$1.47 ₺72.3

10.20%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-32.33%

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

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-37.67%

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

$153 MKD 8,377

$89.2 ₺4,396

72.00%

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

$18.75 MKD 1,023

$11.60 ₺572

61.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.33 MKD 1,055

$16.10 ₺793

20.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.53 MKD 2,103

$77.3 ₺3,806

-50.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 MKD 963

$22.66 ₺1,116

-22.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 MKD 390

$8.34 ₺411

-14.27%

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

$358 MKD 19.5K

$974 ₺48.0K

-63.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,690 MKD 310.6K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-77.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 MKD 4,592

$52.7 ₺2,597

59.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 MKD 2,032

$39.16 ₺1,930

-4.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MKD 5,599

$103 ₺5,084

-0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,113

$96.6 ₺4,760

15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 MKD 22.7K

$994 ₺49.0K

-58.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 MKD 17.8K

$629 ₺31.0K

-48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 MKD 39.9K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-63.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MKD 27.1K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-56.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,702 MKD 147.5K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-14.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 MKD 98.6K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-1.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$877 MKD 47.9K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-27.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

41.09

-89.71%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$327 29.1%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 92.6% $303

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 18.8%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 25% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$192 17.1%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 39% $75

Eating Out

Skopje

$154 13.7%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 41.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 13.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$53 4.7%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 77.8% $41

Getting Around

Skopje

$35 3.1%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 116% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Skopje versus $994 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Skopje versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $264 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

13:49 1:49 PM

1 h ahead of Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.59 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.17 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Istanbul 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,696 per month in Skopje and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $358 per month in Skopje and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,131, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skopje – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Skopje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.