Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Skopje vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,130 per month in Skopje vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skopje is about 14% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Skopje and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 17% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 MKD 399

$11.73 MX$203

-35.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.02 MKD 1,791

$41.62 MX$719

-18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 MKD 350

$10.64 MX$184

-37.50%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MKD 115

$3.52 MX$60.8

-37.78%

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

$1.94 MKD 102

$1.51 MX$26.09

28.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MKD 67.5

$0.97 MX$16.82

31.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MKD 142

$2.95 MX$51.0

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MKD 183

$4.45 MX$77.0

-22.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MKD 70.6

$1.38 MX$23.90

-2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MKD 43.34

$1.89 MX$32.69

-56.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 92.4

$1.64 MX$28.29

6.71%

Eggs

$2.19 MKD 115

$2.51 MX$43.30

-12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 MKD 485

$8.34 MX$144

10.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 MKD 421

$8.34 MX$144

-4.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 MKD 718

$10.73 MX$185

27.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 MKD 53.3

$2.60 MX$45.00

-61.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 74.4

$1.46 MX$25.18

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 69.6

$1.90 MX$32.84

-30.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 114

$2.08 MX$35.88

4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 46.53

$1.78 MX$30.68

-50.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 MKD 48.49

$2.19 MX$37.76

-57.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 MKD 37.39

$1.04 MX$17.97

-31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MKD 30.57

$1.08 MX$18.60

-46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 MKD 166

$4.08 MX$70.5

-22.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 MKD 390

$10.32 MX$178

-28.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 55.8

$1.71 MX$29.59

-38.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MKD 79.7

$2.58 MX$44.50

-41.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MKD 40.40

$0.51 MX$8.81

50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 MKD 1,457

$26.46 MX$457

4.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MKD 51.4

$3.26 MX$56.4

-69.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.59

$2.49 MX$43.05

-80.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 MKD 400

$3.25 MX$56.1

133.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.3

$1.31 MX$22.59

12.21%

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

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

$30.3K MX$523.2K

12.38%

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

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

$23.4K MX$404.9K

26.28%

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

$160 MKD 8,438

$82.9 MX$1,432

93.40%

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

$18.34 MKD 965

$22.22 MX$384

-17.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,007

$29.34 MX$507

-34.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.37 MKD 2,020

$51.6 MX$892

-25.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 MKD 925

$18.32 MX$317

-4.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 MKD 354

$5.07 MX$87.5

32.54%

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

$312 MKD 16.4K

$201 MX$3,470

55.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,509 MKD 237.4K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 MKD 4,063

$36.92 MX$638

109.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 MKD 2,129

$39.79 MX$688

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,270

$78.5 MX$1,356

27.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,804

$87.1 MX$1,505

26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MKD 22.6K

$973 MX$16.8K

-55.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.3K

$468 MX$8,082

-33.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.0K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-60.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 MKD 24.1K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-62.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 MKD 147.5K

$3,946 MX$68.2K

-29.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,829 MKD 96.3K

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-71.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$913 MKD 48.1K

$664 MX$11.5K

37.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

11.42

-60.25%

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

Last update for Skopje: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Skopje versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Skopje, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Skopje versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $249 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 17%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Skopje and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,112 in Skopje and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Skopje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,112, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skopje – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Skopje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.