Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Port Elizabeth Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Port Elizabeth

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,087 per month in Skopje vs $1,167 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,634 per month in Skopje vs $1,849 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,180 per month in Skopje vs $2,532 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Skopje is about 7% cheaper than Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Skopje and Port Elizabeth are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 19% lower, Port Elizabeth 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 MKD 407

$8.89 R 146

-14.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.45 MKD 1,794

$44.06 R 724

-24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 MKD 359

$5.36 R 88.2

25.00%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MKD 122

$2.14 R 35.22

6.07%

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

$2.03 MKD 109

$1.14 R 18.70

78.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 69.2

$1.00 R 16.38

29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MKD 143

$2.56 R 42.11

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MKD 180

$3.02 R 49.69

10.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 69.4

$1.12 R 18.40

15.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MKD 40.80

$0.95 R 15.67

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MKD 89.6

$1.50 R 24.63

11.33%

Eggs

$2.21 MKD 119

$2.45 R 40.30

-9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MKD 490

$7.79 R 128

17.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 417

$4.74 R 78.0

64.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 MKD 735

$8.03 R 132

70.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 MKD 57.1

$1.64 R 26.89

-35.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 76.8

$1.42 R 23.40

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 72.5

$1.63 R 26.82

-17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 116

$1.63 R 26.72

33.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 47.75

$1.55 R 25.55

-42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.45

$1.12 R 18.45

-19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MKD 36.92

$1.17 R 19.29

-41.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.70

$1.01 R 16.57

-45.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 MKD 170

$2.95 R 48.41

7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MKD 389

$4.86 R 79.8

49.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 57.2

$1.10 R 18.09

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MKD 81.5

$1.72 R 28.20

-11.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 40.94

$1.13 R 18.61

-32.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 MKD 1,533

$34.27 R 563

-16.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 51.6

$2.67 R 43.87

-64.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MKD 26.01

$0.45 R 7.42

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.41 MKD 397

$7.95 R 131

-6.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.7

$1.27 R 20.83

17.32%

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

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

$23.9K R 393.4K

40.64%

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

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

$25.8K R 423.5K

13.60%

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

$160 MKD 8,574

$114 R 1,879

39.87%

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

$18.05 MKD 968

$31.86 R 524

-43.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,026

$44.72 R 735

-57.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 MKD 2,074

$29.14 R 479

32.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 931

$21.28 R 350

-18.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 MKD 355

$9.73 R 160

-31.96%

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

$320 MKD 17.2K

$168 R 2,763

90.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,642 MKD 249.0K

$4,835 R 79.5K

-4.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 MKD 4,157

$67.2 R 1,105

15.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MKD 2,154

$37.20 R 612

7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,364

$96.6 R 1,588

3.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,913

$89.0 R 1,462

23.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MKD 22.8K

$584 R 9,602

-27.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.6K

$438 R 7,192

-29.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.6K

$1,097 R 18.0K

-41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$870 R 14.3K

-46.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,731 MKD 146.5K

$772 R 12.7K

253.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 MKD 93.3K

$525 R 8,636

231.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 MKD 47.5K

$1,623 R 26.7K

-45.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

12.04

-62.29%

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

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Skopje versus $584 in Port Elizabeth. 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 83% higher in Port Elizabeth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Skopje versus $44.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries tell a different story – $210 in Skopje vs $181 in Port Elizabeth – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Elizabeth costs about 7% more than Skopje, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,631 per month in Skopje and $1,750 in Port Elizabeth. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Port Elizabeth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Skopje and $44.00 in Port Elizabeth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,087, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,167. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,087 versus $1,167 in Port Elizabeth. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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