Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Port Elizabeth

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,117 a month against $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Port Elizabeth

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 Port Elizabeth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Skopje vs $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Skopje $1,117
Port Elizabeth $1,216

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Skopje vs $1,835 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Skopje $1,654
Port Elizabeth $1,835

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Skopje vs $2,453 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Skopje $2,191
Port Elizabeth $2,453

Skopje is about 8% cheaper than Port Elizabeth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Skopje and Port Elizabeth are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 17% lower, Port Elizabeth 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 MKD 507

$11.00 R 181

-15.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 MKD 1,857

$41.67 R 687

-18.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 MKD 343

$5.84 R 96.2

7.53%

Cappuccino

$2.05 MKD 112

$2.17 R 35.81

-5.53%

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

$1.84 MKD 101

$1.03 R 16.91

78.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.3

$0.76 R 12.59

72.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MKD 146

$2.69 R 44.37

-0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$3.24 R 53.3

-4.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 MKD 66.7

$1.12 R 18.39

8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.54

$1.04 R 17.20

-28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 95.5

$1.51 R 24.94

15.89%

Eggs

$2.40 MKD 131

$2.81 R 46.35

-14.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MKD 445

$8.58 R 141

-4.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 MKD 405

$5.33 R 87.7

39.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 MKD 810

$8.36 R 138

77.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$2.19 R 36.04

-34.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.5

$1.49 R 24.58

-3.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 74.6

$1.70 R 28.04

-19.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 103

$1.81 R 29.74

4.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 48.32

$1.66 R 27.41

-46.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 46.04

$1.45 R 23.83

-42.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.61

$1.26 R 20.72

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.98

$0.99 R 16.39

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MKD 185

$3.26 R 53.8

4.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 407

$4.82 R 79.4

54.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$1.27 R 20.99

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MKD 78.3

$1.82 R 30.00

-21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 41.68

$1.10 R 18.17

-30.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 MKD 1,480

$36.67 R 604

-25.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.3

$2.04 R 33.68

-45.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MKD 33.03

$0.50 R 8.25

22.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 MKD 412

$8.45 R 139

-10.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MKD 85.0

$1.48 R 24.38

5.41%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$35.8K R 589.5K

-2.44%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

$34.1K R 562.5K

-19.92%

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

$154 MKD 8,393

$125 R 2,058

23.17%

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

$18.77 MKD 1,024

$34.90 R 575

-46.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 MKD 1,021

$44.55 R 734

-57.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 MKD 2,073

$32.20 R 530

18.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 MKD 935

$23.27 R 383

-26.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 MKD 395

$10.74 R 177

-32.59%

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

$351 MKD 19.1K

$177 R 2,924

97.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

$6,046 R 99.6K

-5.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,671

$72.4 R 1,193

18.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 MKD 2,020

$38.28 R 631

-3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,498

$110 R 1,806

-8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,150

$95.6 R 1,574

17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MKD 23.0K

$598 R 9,859

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 MKD 17.9K

$415 R 6,838

-21.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 MKD 39.3K

$808 R 13.3K

-10.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 MKD 26.6K

$682 R 11.2K

-28.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

$764 R 12.6K

253.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

$522 R 8,604

246.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 47.8K

$1,625 R 26.8K

-46.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

11.94

-64.57%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$328 29.4%

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1% 26.6% $87

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$210 18.8%

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2% 6.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$191 17.1%

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8% 6.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7% 6% $9.1

Eating Out

Skopje

$150 13.4%

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1% 5.8% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4% 2.3% $1.2

Getting Around

Skopje

$34 3.1%

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8% 32.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Skopje versus $598 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 86% 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 $34.00 in Skopje versus $42.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries tell a different story – $210 in Skopje vs $197 in Port Elizabeth – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

1,050,000

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skopje Port Elizabeth 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Port Elizabeth

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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Elizabeth costs about 9% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,675 per month in Skopje and $1,824 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 7% 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 $34.00 in Skopje and $42.00 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 $1,117, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,216. 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 $1,117 versus $1,216 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.