Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Makhachkala

For one person, living costs are similar in Skopje and in Makhachkala: $1,112 and $1,099 a month, rent and utilities included.

53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Makhachkala

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,099 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Makhachkala $1,099

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $1,726 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Makhachkala $1,726

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $2,353 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Makhachkala $2,353

Skopje and Makhachkala have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Skopje and Makhachkala are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Makhachkala 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 534

$11.07 ₽893

-12.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,894

$43.32 ₽3,494

-20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 360

$5.88 ₽474

10.88%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$2.84 ₽229

-24.65%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.8

$1.04 ₽84.2

74.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 76.1

$0.59 ₽47.68

133.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 148

$2.12 ₽171

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$3.04 ₽245

-0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.4

$1.15 ₽93.1

11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.87

$0.73 ₽59.2

1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.41 ₽114

31.21%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 138

$1.61 ₽130

55.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 447

$11.56 ₽932

-29.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 406

$5.31 ₽428

38.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 827

$11.81 ₽953

27.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.7

$1.79 ₽145

-20.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.5

$1.80 ₽146

-21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.4

$1.81 ₽146

-27.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$2.81 ₽227

-33.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.43

$0.83 ₽67.1

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.84

$0.64 ₽51.6

21.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.73

$1.46 ₽117

-56.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.41

$0.73 ₽58.5

-19.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$2.74 ₽221

22.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 412

$7.98 ₽644

-6.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.5

$1.16 ₽93.2

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.5

$2.29 ₽185

-34.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.92

$0.51 ₽41.23

39.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,418

$27.57 ₽2,223

-6.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.3

$2.31 ₽186

-53.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.68

$0.36 ₽29.10

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$6.47 ₽521

15.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.6

$0.81 ₽65.3

96.30%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$56.8K ₽4.6M

-39.59%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$45.6K ₽3.7M

-42.86%

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

$158 MKD 8,729

$134 ₽10.8K

18.27%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,036

$5.57 ₽449

237.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,058

$7.53 ₽607

154.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,041

$36.40 ₽2,936

1.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 956

$27.47 ₽2,215

-36.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 410

$6.61 ₽533

12.56%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$365 ₽29.4K

1.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 312.4K

$7,058 ₽569.2K

-19.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,717

$76.8 ₽6,193

11.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,039

$49.45 ₽3,988

-25.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,594

$141 ₽11.4K

-28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,189

$93.2 ₽7,513

20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.7K

$481 ₽38.8K

-18.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.3K

$330 ₽26.6K

-4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.4K

$943 ₽76.1K

-24.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$599 ₽48.3K

-19.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.3K

$2,318 ₽186.9K

18.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.6K

$1,510 ₽121.8K

22.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.3K

$630 ₽50.8K

38.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

21.45

-80.28%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Makhachkala

$330 30% 5.2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Makhachkala

$213 19.4% 1.2% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Makhachkala

$147 13.4% 25.1% $49

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Makhachkala

$163 14.9% 5.5% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Makhachkala

$162 14.8% 7.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Makhachkala

$50 4.5% 4.4% $2.3

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Makhachkala

$34 3.1% 3.8% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $481 in Makhachkala. 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 39% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $43 in Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $213 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

2 h ahead of Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

604,266

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 80.65 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.78 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Makhachkala 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Skopje and $1,649 in Makhachkala. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $481 in Makhachkala.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje and $43 in Makhachkala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $365 in Makhachkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,112 in Skopje and $1,099 in Makhachkala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Skopje has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,099 in Makhachkala to $1,112 in Skopje. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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