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 $1,143 per month in Skopje vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,720 per month in Skopje vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,296 per month in Skopje vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skopje is about 10% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Skopje and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.35 MKD 497

$11.60 MX$200

-19.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.06 MKD 1,864

$47.11 MX$812

-25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 MKD 360

$11.88 MX$205

-42.93%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MKD 116

$3.98 MX$68.6

-45.23%

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

$1.90 MKD 101

$1.43 MX$24.60

32.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 MKD 72.5

$0.82 MX$14.22

65.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 MKD 147

$3.19 MX$55.0

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 178

$6.79 MX$117

-50.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MKD 67.2

$1.68 MX$28.89

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MKD 43.24

$2.20 MX$37.88

-63.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MKD 101

$1.71 MX$29.45

10.53%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 134

$2.74 MX$47.26

-8.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MKD 452

$9.58 MX$165

-11.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 MKD 393

$9.01 MX$155

-18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 MKD 807

$12.81 MX$221

18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 78.1

$2.89 MX$49.81

-49.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 75.3

$1.50 MX$25.81

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 71.6

$2.15 MX$37.03

-37.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 MKD 112

$2.26 MX$38.96

-7.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 45.28

$1.98 MX$34.15

-57.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MKD 43.02

$1.99 MX$34.30

-59.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 33.94

$1.23 MX$21.28

-47.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MKD 32.55

$1.20 MX$20.63

-49.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 MKD 184

$4.55 MX$78.5

-23.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 MKD 390

$10.37 MX$179

-29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 56.2

$1.62 MX$27.91

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.0

$2.88 MX$49.67

-47.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MKD 40.88

$0.60 MX$10.35

28.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,520

$28.80 MX$497

-0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MKD 61.0

$5.39 MX$92.9

-78.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.22

$3.73 MX$64.3

-83.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 MKD 424

$5.77 MX$99.5

38.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 84.3

$1.54 MX$26.48

3.25%

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

$36.7K MKD 1.9M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

62.55%

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

$28.4K MKD 1.5M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

9.12%

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

$160 MKD 8,502

$91.4 MX$1,576

74.95%

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

$18.86 MKD 1,003

$25.20 MX$435

-25.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 MKD 1,043

$31.24 MX$539

-37.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 MKD 1,947

$67.2 MX$1,159

-45.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 MKD 940

$29.11 MX$502

-39.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 MKD 411

$4.86 MX$83.8

59.05%

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

$364 MKD 19.4K

$224 MX$3,856

62.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,701 MKD 303.2K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

34.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 MKD 4,702

$47.10 MX$812

87.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.29 MKD 2,036

$44.29 MX$764

-13.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MKD 5,690

$80.1 MX$1,381

33.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MKD 6,307

$92.7 MX$1,598

27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 MKD 23.3K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-58.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 MKD 17.7K

$390 MX$6,728

-14.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 MKD 40.6K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-64.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 MKD 27.8K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-58.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,748 MKD 146.1K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-31.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 MKD 97.7K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-71.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$920 MKD 48.9K

$758 MX$13.1K

21.36%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $439 in Skopje versus $1,063 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 21% 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 $35.00 in Skopje versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $276 – 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 11%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,715 per month in Skopje and $1,899 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 $1,143 in Skopje and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 1% 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 $1,143, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.