Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,131 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Skopje versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Skopje $1,131
Mexico City $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,675 in Skopje versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Skopje $1,675
Mexico City $2,440

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,220 in Skopje versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Skopje $2,220
Mexico City $3,319

Living in Skopje costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Skopje is 16% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 MKD 523

$11.12 MX$202

-13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.25 MKD 1,870

$48.99 MX$891

-30.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 MKD 352

$11.23 MX$204

-42.56%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 117

$3.76 MX$68.4

-43.09%

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

$1.81 MKD 98.6

$1.65 MX$30.05

9.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.6

$1.28 MX$23.27

2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 MKD 148

$3.26 MX$59.2

-16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$5.66 MX$103

-45.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 70.2

$1.81 MX$32.92

-28.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.52

$2.94 MX$53.5

-74.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 MKD 100

$2.05 MX$37.27

-10.24%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 138

$2.93 MX$53.2

-13.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 MKD 431

$11.95 MX$217

-33.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 MKD 413

$9.51 MX$173

-20.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 819

$14.84 MX$270

1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 MKD 80.7

$3.14 MX$57.2

-52.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.3

$2.01 MX$36.65

-27.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 73.1

$2.08 MX$37.75

-35.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MKD 106

$2.22 MX$40.35

-12.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.14

$2.06 MX$37.47

-56.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 46.22

$1.88 MX$34.14

-54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 34.67

$1.48 MX$26.93

-56.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.89

$1.35 MX$24.47

-59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 MKD 192

$5.41 MX$98.4

-34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 MKD 386

$16.86 MX$307

-58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 57.9

$1.98 MX$36.09

-46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MKD 78.9

$4.32 MX$78.7

-66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MKD 41.10

$0.34 MX$6.27

120.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.74 MKD 1,514

$20.23 MX$368

37.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.6

$2.10 MX$38.11

-47.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.74

$0.53 MX$9.65

16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 MKD 421

$5.41 MX$98.3

42.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MKD 88.2

$1.52 MX$27.65

6.58%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$21.7K MX$395.3K

60.76%

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

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

$24.8K MX$451.4K

11.66%

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

$153 MKD 8,377

$63.0 MX$1,145

143.70%

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

$18.75 MKD 1,023

$28.88 MX$525

-35.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.33 MKD 1,055

$33.93 MX$617

-43.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.53 MKD 2,103

$55.8 MX$1,015

-30.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 MKD 963

$24.90 MX$453

-29.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 MKD 390

$6.77 MX$123

5.61%

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

$358 MKD 19.5K

$428 MX$7,781

-16.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,690 MKD 310.6K

$11.9K MX$216.0K

-52.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 MKD 4,592

$70.0 MX$1,274

20.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 MKD 2,032

$53.7 MX$977

-30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MKD 5,599

$110 MX$1,997

-6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,113

$115 MX$2,096

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 MKD 22.7K

$1,062 MX$19.3K

-60.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 MKD 17.8K

$671 MX$12.2K

-51.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 MKD 39.9K

$2,379 MX$43.3K

-69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MKD 27.1K

$1,260 MX$22.9K

-60.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,702 MKD 147.5K

$3,716 MX$67.6K

-27.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 MKD 98.6K

$1,976 MX$35.9K

-8.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$877 MKD 47.9K

$997 MX$18.1K

-12.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

11.3

-62.57%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$327 29.1%

Mexico City

$671 42.4% 105% $344

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 18.8%

Mexico City

$327 20.7% 54.7% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$192 17.1%

Mexico City

$126 8% 34.3% $66

Eating Out

Skopje

$154 13.7%

Mexico City

$207 13.1% 34.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.5%

Mexico City

$157 9.9% 3.8% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$53 4.7%

Mexico City

$69 4.4% 31.2% $17

Getting Around

Skopje

$35 3.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 24.6% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Skopje and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 14% 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 $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $327 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

00:45 12:45 AM

8 h behind Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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 = 61.23 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skopje Mexico City 10,860 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje and Mexico City differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,131 vs $1,561 including rent). Skopje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $416 in Skopje versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Skopje runs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $358 in Skopje versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,131 in Skopje versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.