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 $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,158 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Skopje vs $1,839 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,130 per month in Skopje vs $2,519 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Skopje is about 4% cheaper than Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Skopje and Port Elizabeth are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 17% lower, Port Elizabeth 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 MKD 400

$9.00 R 147

-15.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.02 MKD 1,798

$44.72 R 731

-23.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 MKD 351

$5.30 R 86.7

25.47%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MKD 116

$2.23 R 36.38

-1.79%

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

$1.94 MKD 103

$1.17 R 19.19

65.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MKD 67.7

$1.04 R 16.93

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MKD 142

$2.50 R 40.81

8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MKD 184

$2.95 R 48.28

17.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MKD 70.9

$1.12 R 18.23

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MKD 43.49

$0.93 R 15.22

-11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 92.7

$1.43 R 23.31

22.38%

Eggs

$2.19 MKD 116

$2.49 R 40.66

-12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 MKD 487

$7.86 R 129

17.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 MKD 422

$4.86 R 79.5

64.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 MKD 720

$8.05 R 132

69.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 MKD 53.5

$1.68 R 27.42

-39.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 74.7

$1.41 R 23.12

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 69.8

$1.59 R 25.96

-16.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MKD 115

$1.62 R 26.49

33.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 46.69

$1.50 R 24.45

-41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 MKD 48.66

$1.11 R 18.20

-17.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 MKD 37.53

$1.19 R 19.49

-40.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MKD 30.68

$0.93 R 15.14

-37.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 MKD 167

$2.96 R 48.43

6.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 MKD 392

$5.00 R 81.7

48.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 56.0

$1.16 R 18.99

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MKD 80.0

$1.71 R 28.03

-11.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MKD 40.54

$1.09 R 17.89

-29.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 MKD 1,462

$34.50 R 564

-19.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MKD 51.6

$2.68 R 43.75

-63.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.68

$0.44 R 7.26

11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 MKD 401

$8.04 R 131

-5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.5

$1.29 R 21.05

13.95%

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

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

$23.5K R 384.7K

44.59%

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

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

$25.5K R 416.3K

16.19%

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

$160 MKD 8,469

$118 R 1,925

36.12%

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

$18.34 MKD 969

$32.46 R 531

-43.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 MKD 1,011

$44.22 R 723

-56.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.37 MKD 2,027

$28.98 R 474

32.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 MKD 928

$20.80 R 340

-15.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 MKD 355

$9.52 R 156

-29.41%

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

$312 MKD 16.5K

$164 R 2,677

90.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,509 MKD 238.3K

$4,714 R 77.1K

-4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 MKD 4,078

$66.6 R 1,089

15.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 MKD 2,136

$37.40 R 611

8.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MKD 5,289

$93.8 R 1,533

6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,825

$90.5 R 1,480

21.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MKD 22.7K

$587 R 9,589

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MKD 16.4K

$448 R 7,319

-30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 MKD 34.1K

$1,115 R 18.2K

-42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 MKD 24.2K

$871 R 14.2K

-47.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 MKD 148.0K

$776 R 12.7K

260.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,829 MKD 96.6K

$545 R 8,917

235.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$913 MKD 48.2K

$1,620 R 26.5K

-43.66%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Skopje versus $587 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 77% 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 $45.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries tell a different story – $213 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 4% 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 $1,667 per month in Skopje and $1,737 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 18% 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 $45.00 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 $1,112, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,158. 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 $1,112 versus $1,158 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.