Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Nizhny Novgorod Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Nizhny Novgorod

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,168 in Skopje versus $1,140 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,738 in Skopje versus $1,787 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,308 in Skopje versus $2,434 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Living in Skopje is roughly 2% more expensive than in Nizhny Novgorod, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 15% lower, Nizhny Novgorod 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.46 MKD 499

$17.17 ₽1,490

-44.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.97 MKD 1,794

$50.9 ₽4,421

-33.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 MKD 355

$7.03 ₽611

-4.27%

Cappuccino

$2.13 MKD 113

$2.80 ₽243

-23.93%

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

$1.88 MKD 99.2

$1.41 ₽123

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MKD 68.7

$0.63 ₽54.7

106.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 MKD 146

$1.70 ₽148

62.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MKD 166

$2.50 ₽217

26.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 68.2

$1.15 ₽99.9

12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MKD 43.17

$0.70 ₽60.5

17.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 100

$1.29 ₽112

47.29%

Eggs

$2.47 MKD 130

$1.40 ₽121

76.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 MKD 465

$11.22 ₽974

-21.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MKD 399

$4.80 ₽416

57.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 MKD 798

$10.89 ₽946

38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 MKD 78.1

$1.67 ₽145

-11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MKD 79.1

$1.68 ₽146

-10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 72.8

$1.71 ₽149

-19.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MKD 109

$3.23 ₽280

-36.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 46.34

$0.74 ₽64.6

18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 44.27

$0.59 ₽51.1

42.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 MKD 34.20

$1.37 ₽119

-52.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MKD 30.83

$0.69 ₽59.7

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 MKD 194

$3.09 ₽268

18.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 395

$7.91 ₽687

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MKD 55.2

$1.07 ₽92.7

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 MKD 83.5

$1.95 ₽169

-18.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MKD 41.31

$0.48 ₽41.27

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MKD 1,469

$16.31 ₽1,416

70.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 59.1

$2.35 ₽204

-52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 MKD 35.51

$0.39 ₽34.12

71.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 MKD 417

$8.17 ₽709

-3.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MKD 85.4

$0.82 ₽71.1

97.56%

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

$37.5K MKD 2.0M

$34.5K ₽3.0M

8.72%

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

$28.0K MKD 1.5M

$34.1K ₽3.0M

-18.13%

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

$166 MKD 8,742

$130 ₽11.2K

27.80%

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

$19.14 MKD 1,011

$6.29 ₽546

204.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.69 MKD 1,040

$7.89 ₽685

149.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 MKD 2,037

$27.78 ₽2,411

38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 MKD 963

$25.11 ₽2,180

-27.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 MKD 386

$6.91 ₽600

5.79%

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

$390 MKD 20.6K

$304 ₽26.4K

28.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,550 MKD 293.1K

$6,637 ₽576.2K

-16.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 MKD 4,730

$65.8 ₽5,715

36.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 MKD 2,120

$54.2 ₽4,704

-25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MKD 5,675

$107 ₽9,255

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MKD 6,147

$99.9 ₽8,669

16.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 MKD 23.5K

$563 ₽48.9K

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 MKD 17.8K

$392 ₽34.0K

-14.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 MKD 40.4K

$891 ₽77.3K

-14.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 MKD 28.0K

$636 ₽55.2K

-16.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 MKD 143.1K

$3,405 ₽295.6K

-20.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 MKD 98.7K

$2,121 ₽184.1K

-11.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$896 MKD 47.3K

$794 ₽68.9K

12.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

20.38

-79.15%

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

Last update for Skopje: August 29, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Skopje and $563 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skopje pays 13% 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 $51.0 in Nizhny Novgorod. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $203, with Nizhny Novgorod cheaper for home cooking.

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

Nizhny Novgorod is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Skopje, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $445 in Skopje versus $563 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $390 in Skopje versus $304 in Nizhny Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Skopje. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,140 in Nizhny Novgorod versus $1,168 in Skopje, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nizhny Novgorod but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Nizhny Novgorod the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Nizhny Novgorod gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.