Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Nizhny Novgorod

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,117 a month against $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
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Nizhny Novgorod Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Nizhny Novgorod

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Skopje versus $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Skopje $1,117
Nizhny Novgorod $1,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Skopje versus $1,855 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Skopje $1,654
Nizhny Novgorod $1,855

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,191 in Skopje versus $2,479 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Skopje $2,191
Nizhny Novgorod $2,479

Living in Skopje costs roughly 9% less than in Nizhny Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 17% lower, Nizhny Novgorod 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 MKD 507

$13.93 ₽1,163

-33.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 MKD 1,857

$53.0 ₽4,420

-35.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 MKD 343

$7.06 ₽589

-11.05%

Cappuccino

$2.05 MKD 112

$3.30 ₽275

-37.88%

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

$1.84 MKD 101

$1.74 ₽145

5.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.3

$0.70 ₽58.2

87.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MKD 146

$1.86 ₽156

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$3.70 ₽309

-15.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 MKD 66.7

$1.19 ₽99.6

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.54

$0.82 ₽68.2

-9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 95.5

$1.47 ₽123

19.05%

Eggs

$2.40 MKD 131

$1.61 ₽134

49.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MKD 445

$11.65 ₽972

-29.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 MKD 405

$4.59 ₽383

61.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 MKD 810

$13.56 ₽1,132

9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$1.70 ₽142

-15.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.5

$1.70 ₽142

-15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 74.6

$1.76 ₽147

-22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 103

$3.66 ₽306

-48.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 48.32

$0.68 ₽57.1

30.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 46.04

$0.61 ₽50.7

37.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.61

$1.28 ₽107

-50.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.98

$0.74 ₽61.6

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MKD 185

$2.96 ₽247

14.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 407

$8.17 ₽682

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$1.09 ₽90.9

-7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MKD 78.3

$2.35 ₽196

-39.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 41.68

$0.46 ₽38.56

65.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 MKD 1,480

$16.96 ₽1,416

60.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.3

$2.13 ₽177

-47.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MKD 33.03

$0.44 ₽36.57

38.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 MKD 412

$7.19 ₽600

5.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MKD 85.0

$0.81 ₽67.6

92.59%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$42.4K ₽3.5M

-17.58%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

$32.8K ₽2.7M

-16.55%

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

$154 MKD 8,393

$144 ₽12.0K

6.87%

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

$18.77 MKD 1,024

$7.12 ₽594

163.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 MKD 1,021

$8.03 ₽670

133.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 MKD 2,073

$32.72 ₽2,730

16.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 MKD 935

$26.32 ₽2,197

-34.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 MKD 395

$7.22 ₽603

0.28%

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

$351 MKD 19.1K

$309 ₽25.8K

13.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

$6,940 ₽579.2K

-17.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,671

$69.3 ₽5,781

23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 MKD 2,020

$54.3 ₽4,531

-31.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,498

$141 ₽11.8K

-28.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,150

$83.4 ₽6,963

35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MKD 23.0K

$610 ₽50.9K

-30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 MKD 17.9K

$428 ₽35.7K

-23.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 MKD 39.3K

$863 ₽72.0K

-16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 MKD 26.6K

$614 ₽51.3K

-20.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

$3,279 ₽273.7K

-17.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

$2,075 ₽173.2K

-12.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 47.8K

$1,024 ₽85.4K

-14.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

20.81

-79.67%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$328 29.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$428 34.8% 30.6% $100

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$210 18.8%

Nizhny Novgorod

$219 17.8% 4.4% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$191 17.1%

Nizhny Novgorod

$159 12.9% 16.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Nizhny Novgorod

$157 12.7% 3.5% $5.2

Eating Out

Skopje

$150 13.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$199 16.1% 32.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.8% 10.1% $5.3

Getting Around

Skopje

$34 3.1%

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9% 32.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Skopje and $610 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nizhny Novgorod 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: $34.00 in Skopje vs $53.0 in Nizhny Novgorod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $219 per month, with Skopje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h ahead of Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

1,244,254

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skopje Nizhny Novgorod 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Nizhny Novgorod

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 Nizhny Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Nizhny Novgorod. 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: $422 in Skopje versus $610 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $351 in Skopje versus $309 in Nizhny Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Nizhny Novgorod. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,117 in Skopje versus $1,232 in Nizhny Novgorod, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Nizhny Novgorod. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skopje is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nizhny Novgorod, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Nizhny Novgorod. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.