Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Skopje versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Skopje versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Skopje costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Skopje is 19% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 MKD 407

$13.07 MX$228

-42.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.45 MKD 1,796

$53.8 MX$936

-37.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 MKD 360

$9.68 MX$169

-30.79%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MKD 122

$3.74 MX$65.1

-39.30%

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

$2.03 MKD 109

$1.62 MX$28.13

25.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 69.3

$1.16 MX$20.23

11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MKD 143

$3.23 MX$56.2

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 180

$4.74 MX$82.5

-29.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 69.5

$1.65 MX$28.68

-21.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MKD 40.83

$2.75 MX$47.95

-72.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MKD 89.7

$1.87 MX$32.63

-10.70%

Eggs

$2.21 MKD 119

$2.50 MX$43.54

-11.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MKD 490

$10.20 MX$178

-10.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 418

$8.25 MX$144

-5.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 MKD 736

$11.82 MX$206

15.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 MKD 57.1

$3.01 MX$52.4

-64.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 76.8

$1.81 MX$31.54

-20.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 72.6

$2.00 MX$34.81

-32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 116

$2.00 MX$34.74

8.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 47.79

$2.08 MX$36.30

-57.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.49

$2.27 MX$39.56

-60.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.95

$1.46 MX$25.36

-52.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.72

$1.08 MX$18.74

-49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 MKD 171

$4.35 MX$75.7

-26.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MKD 390

$16.99 MX$296

-57.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 57.3

$1.73 MX$30.18

-38.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.5

$3.58 MX$62.3

-57.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 40.98

$0.39 MX$6.74

94.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,534

$18.69 MX$325

52.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.6

$1.33 MX$23.08

-27.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MKD 26.03

$0.28 MX$4.87

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.41 MKD 398

$5.25 MX$91.5

41.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.7

$1.34 MX$23.27

11.19%

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

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

$19.4K MX$338.0K

73.39%

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

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

$23.8K MX$415.0K

22.81%

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

$160 MKD 8,580

$40.69 MX$709

292.82%

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

$18.05 MKD 969

$26.87 MX$468

-32.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,027

$30.51 MX$531

-37.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 MKD 2,075

$52.8 MX$919

-26.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 932

$26.65 MX$464

-34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 MKD 356

$6.51 MX$113

1.69%

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

$320 MKD 17.2K

$428 MX$7,454

-25.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,642 MKD 249.2K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-55.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 MKD 4,160

$57.3 MX$997

35.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MKD 2,156

$45.50 MX$792

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,368

$104 MX$1,812

-3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,918

$108 MX$1,878

2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MKD 22.8K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-57.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.6K

$623 MX$10.8K

-50.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.6K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-69.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-62.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 MKD 146.6K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-29.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 MKD 93.4K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-14.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 MKD 47.6K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-14.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

11.34

-59.96%

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

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Skopje and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 17% 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: $33.00 in Skopje vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $292 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje and Mexico City differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $1,456 including rent). Skopje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $425 in Skopje versus $1,003 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 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $320 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 $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,456 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.