Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Stip

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $809 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
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Stip Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Stip

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $809 in Stip, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Stip $809

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $1,210 in Stip, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Stip $1,210

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $1,611 in Stip, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Stip $1,611

Skopje costs about 37% more than Stip, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Skopje and Stip are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Stip 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 532

$7.45 MKD 410

29.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,889

$23.08 MKD 1,270

48.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$6.30 MKD 346

3.49%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$1.81 MKD 99.3

18.23%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$1.43 MKD 78.6

26.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 75.9

$1.07 MKD 58.8

28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 147

$1.84 MKD 101

45.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$2.75 MKD 151

10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.2

$1.27 MKD 70.1

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.78

$0.74 MKD 40.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.11 MKD 61.0

66.67%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 137

$2.52 MKD 139

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$7.96 MKD 438

1.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$7.26 MKD 399

1.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

$7.21 MKD 397

108.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.5

$0.90 MKD 49.29

58.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

$1.45 MKD 79.6

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$1.32 MKD 72.7

-0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$1.60 MKD 87.8

16.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.32

$0.88 MKD 48.66

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.75

$0.80 MKD 43.95

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.65

$0.56 MKD 30.97

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.34

$0.42 MKD 23.10

40.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$3.25 MKD 179

3.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$7.42 MKD 408

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$1.03 MKD 56.8

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

$1.49 MKD 81.8

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.83

$0.67 MKD 36.86

5.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,415

$23.98 MKD 1,319

7.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$1.08 MKD 59.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.62

$0.58 MKD 31.73

-1.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$5.54 MKD 304

35.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$1.53 MKD 84.2

3.92%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

3.51%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

0.35%

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

$158 MKD 8,710

$158 MKD 8,677

0.37%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

$8.95 MKD 492

110.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

$16.29 MKD 896

17.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$27.01 MKD 1,485

37.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 954

$17.36 MKD 955

-0.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$6.50 MKD 358

14.46%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$357 MKD 19.6K

3.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

$5,645 MKD 310.5K

0.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,707

$35.74 MKD 1,966

139.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

$30.66 MKD 1,686

20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,582

$101 MKD 5,554

0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,176

$113 MKD 6,200

-0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.6K

$201 MKD 11.1K

95.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.2K

$127 MKD 6,986

146.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$331 MKD 18.2K

115.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$201 MKD 11.0K

140.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

$1,210 MKD 66.5K

126.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

$976 MKD 53.7K

88.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$463 MKD 25.5K

88.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Stip: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Stip

$127 15.7% 59.5% $187

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Stip

$177 21.9% 15.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Stip

$183 22.6% 6.8% $13

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Stip

$125 15.4% 19.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Stip

$126 15.6% 16.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Stip

$40 5% 22.9% $12

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Stip

$31 3.8% 5.8% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $201 in Stip. 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 89% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $23 in Stip. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $177 – making Stip the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇰 Stip

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

65,000

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Skopje Stip 69 km

From you

Skopje
Stip

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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 37% more than Stip, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,214 in Stip. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stip, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $394 in Skopje.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $357 in Stip. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Skopje, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Skopje at $1,112. In Stip it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stip – 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 Stip. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Skopje makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.