Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Resen Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Resen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Skopje versus $898 in Resen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,622 in Skopje versus $1,341 in Resen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Skopje versus $1,784 in Resen.

Living in Skopje is roughly 20% more expensive than Resen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skopje 19% lower, Resen 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.56 MKD 400

$5.56 MKD 294

35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.21 MKD 1,759

$33.55 MKD 1,777

-1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 MKD 355

$6.56 MKD 347

2.13%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MKD 118

$2.31 MKD 122

-3.46%

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

$2.03 MKD 107

$1.97 MKD 104

3.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 MKD 64.8

$1.24 MKD 65.6

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MKD 139

$2.61 MKD 138

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MKD 184

$2.68 MKD 142

29.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 70.6

$1.32 MKD 70.0

0.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 MKD 41.05

$0.72 MKD 38.09

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MKD 88.0

$1.70 MKD 89.9

-2.35%

Eggs

$2.24 MKD 119

$2.02 MKD 107

10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 MKD 489

$9.00 MKD 477

2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 MKD 428

$7.07 MKD 375

14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.49 MKD 714

$13.41 MKD 710

0.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.6

$1.01 MKD 53.7

5.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 71.5

$1.41 MKD 74.7

-4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 MKD 72.1

$1.30 MKD 68.7

4.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MKD 114

$1.61 MKD 85.4

34.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 43.84

$0.83 MKD 43.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MKD 52.8

$0.91 MKD 48.04

9.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 MKD 38.21

$0.54 MKD 28.64

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.01

$0.58 MKD 30.53

-5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 MKD 167

$3.03 MKD 160

4.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 MKD 409

$7.37 MKD 390

4.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MKD 58.6

$0.93 MKD 49.33

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 MKD 82.1

$1.51 MKD 80.0

2.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MKD 40.74

$0.67 MKD 35.70

14.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.72 MKD 1,468

$20.50 MKD 1,086

35.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 MKD 47.46

$0.96 MKD 50.7

-6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MKD 28.17

$0.52 MKD 27.71

1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 MKD 408

$6.73 MKD 356

14.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MKD 78.2

$1.50 MKD 79.4

-1.33%

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

$34.5K MKD 1.8M

$31.8K MKD 1.7M

8.47%

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

$29.4K MKD 1.6M

0.02%

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

$164 MKD 8,679

$145 MKD 7,656

13.36%

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

$18.26 MKD 967

$17.30 MKD 916

5.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.08 MKD 1,010

$15.42 MKD 816

23.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.38 MKD 2,085

$26.64 MKD 1,411

47.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.51 MKD 927

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 MKD 342

$4.63 MKD 245

39.31%

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

$324 MKD 17.1K

$216 MKD 11.4K

49.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,636 MKD 245.5K

$1,226 MKD 64.9K

278.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 MKD 4,087

$77.3 MKD 4,094

-0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.10 MKD 2,071

$39.91 MKD 2,114

-2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,335

$76.2 MKD 4,033

32.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 MKD 5,886

$109 MKD 5,775

1.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MKD 22.3K

$282 MKD 15.0K

49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MKD 16.8K

$193 MKD 10.2K

63.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 MKD 33.1K

$553 MKD 29.3K

13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 MKD 24.0K

$311 MKD 16.5K

45.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 MKD 149.8K

$1,659 MKD 87.9K

70.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,827 MKD 96.7K

$1,280 MKD 67.8K

42.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 MKD 46.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

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

Last update for Skopje: June 14, 2026

Last update for Resen: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Skopje and $282 in Resen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Skopje vs $34.00 in Resen. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $200, with Resen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Resen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Resen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,622 in Skopje and $1,347 in Resen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $421 in Skopje versus $282 in Resen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Skopje. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Resen – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $33.00 in Skopje. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Resen versus $1,081 in Skopje, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Resen but tight or insufficient in Skopje. The gap between the two cities makes Resen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Resen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Skopje, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Skopje and Resen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Resen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Skopje. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.