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: $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,110 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Skopje versus $1,752 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Skopje versus $2,394 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Living in Skopje costs roughly 2% less than in Nizhny Novgorod, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 19% lower, Nizhny Novgorod 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 MKD 407

$11.25 ₽879

-32.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.45 MKD 1,794

$37.61 ₽2,938

-11.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 MKD 359

$5.63 ₽440

19.01%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MKD 122

$2.61 ₽204

-13.03%

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

$2.03 MKD 109

$1.25 ₽97.5

62.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 69.2

$0.46 ₽35.72

180.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MKD 143

$1.01 ₽78.8

163.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 180

$3.12 ₽244

7.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 69.4

$1.05 ₽82.3

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MKD 40.80

$0.61 ₽47.93

24.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MKD 89.6

$1.36 ₽106

22.79%

Eggs

$2.21 MKD 119

$1.59 ₽124

38.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MKD 490

$10.52 ₽822

-13.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 417

$4.77 ₽373

63.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 MKD 735

$8.73 ₽682

57.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 MKD 57.1

$1.73 ₽135

-38.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 76.8

$1.69 ₽132

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 72.5

$1.93 ₽151

-30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 116

$2.53 ₽198

-14.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 47.75

$0.70 ₽55.1

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.45

$0.71 ₽55.2

26.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.92

$1.23 ₽96.4

-43.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.70

$0.78 ₽60.9

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 MKD 170

$2.87 ₽224

10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MKD 389

$9.65 ₽754

-24.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 57.2

$1.18 ₽91.8

-9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.5

$2.16 ₽169

-29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 40.94

$0.49 ₽38.09

55.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,533

$16.95 ₽1,324

68.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.6

$1.95 ₽152

-50.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MKD 26.01

$0.59 ₽46.31

-18.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.41 MKD 397

$7.63 ₽596

-2.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.7

$0.77 ₽59.8

93.51%

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

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

$40.9K ₽3.2M

-17.76%

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

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

$31.6K ₽2.5M

-7.27%

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

$160 MKD 8,574

$110 ₽8,627

44.74%

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

$18.05 MKD 968

$5.73 ₽448

215.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,026

$7.22 ₽564

164.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 MKD 2,074

$32.19 ₽2,515

20.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 931

$16.25 ₽1,270

6.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 MKD 355

$6.31 ₽493

4.91%

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

$320 MKD 17.2K

$332 ₽25.9K

-3.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,642 MKD 249.0K

$3,908 ₽305.3K

18.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 MKD 4,157

$81.9 ₽6,401

-5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MKD 2,154

$76.6 ₽5,982

-47.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,364

$143 ₽11.2K

-30.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,913

$112 ₽8,768

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MKD 22.8K

$590 ₽46.1K

-28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.6K

$372 ₽29.1K

-16.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.6K

$1,006 ₽78.6K

-35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$740 ₽57.8K

-37.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 MKD 146.5K

$3,995 ₽312.1K

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 MKD 93.3K

$2,491 ₽194.6K

-30.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 MKD 47.5K

$923 ₽72.1K

-4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

16.46

-72.42%

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

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Skopje and $590 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nizhny Novgorod pays 4% 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 $38.00 in Nizhny Novgorod. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $197, 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

Skopje is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $425 in Skopje versus $590 in Nizhny Novgorod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Skopje versus $332 in Nizhny Novgorod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Nizhny Novgorod pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,087 in Skopje versus $1,110 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 2% less than in Nizhny Novgorod. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.