Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Skopje is about 8% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Skopje and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 532

$10.92 MX$205

-11.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,889

$43.37 MX$814

-20.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$11.78 MX$221

-44.65%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$3.81 MX$71.5

-43.83%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$1.28 MX$24.07

41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 75.9

$0.78 MX$14.70

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 147

$3.17 MX$59.5

-15.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$4.93 MX$92.7

-38.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.2

$1.41 MX$26.40

-9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.78

$2.22 MX$41.62

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.42 MX$26.61

30.28%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 137

$2.52 MX$47.36

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$7.26 MX$136

11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$7.70 MX$144

-4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

$12.69 MX$238

18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.5

$2.78 MX$52.3

-48.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

$1.37 MX$25.68

2.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$2.55 MX$47.89

-48.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$2.12 MX$39.86

-12.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.32

$1.94 MX$36.39

-54.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.75

$1.89 MX$35.41

-58.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.65

$1.15 MX$21.53

-45.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.34

$1.18 MX$22.13

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$4.30 MX$80.6

-21.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$9.95 MX$187

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$1.58 MX$29.73

-32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

$2.67 MX$50.1

-43.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.83

$0.55 MX$10.39

29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,415

$26.62 MX$500

-3.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$4.97 MX$93.3

-78.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.62

$3.33 MX$62.5

-82.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$5.36 MX$101

39.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$1.44 MX$27.11

10.42%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

65.97%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$23.5K MX$440.5K

11.06%

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

$158 MKD 8,710

$84.8 MX$1,592

86.76%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

$23.41 MX$439

-19.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

$28.66 MX$538

-33.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$57.1 MX$1,071

-35.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 954

$28.91 MX$543

-39.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$5.14 MX$96.5

44.75%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$207 MX$3,878

78.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

44.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,707

$43.35 MX$814

97.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

$41.44 MX$778

-10.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,582

$74.2 MX$1,393

36.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,176

$89.3 MX$1,676

25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.6K

$980 MX$18.4K

-59.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.2K

$381 MX$7,150

-17.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-58.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-55.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-30.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-70.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$735 MX$13.8K

19.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

11.45

-63.06%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 21.4% $67

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 20.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 30.3% $60

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 30.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 26.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 29.7% $15

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 55.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $980 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 19% 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 in Skopje versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $255 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

21:05 9:05 PM

6 h behind Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Playa del Carmen 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Skopje and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,112 in Skopje and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Skopje about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Skopje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Skopje and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,112 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Skopje is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 8% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.