Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Struga

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $867 a month against $1,117 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Struga
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Struga Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Struga

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Struga

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Skopje vs $867 in Struga, rent included.

Skopje $1,117
Struga $867

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Skopje vs $1,319 in Struga, rent included.

Skopje $1,654
Struga $1,319

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Skopje vs $1,771 in Struga, rent included.

Skopje $2,191
Struga $1,771

Skopje costs about 29% more than Struga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Skopje and Struga are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 17% lower, Struga 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 MKD 507

$7.38 MKD 402

25.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 MKD 1,857

$29.55 MKD 1,612

15.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 MKD 343

$5.35 MKD 292

17.38%

Cappuccino

$2.05 MKD 112

$1.50 MKD 81.9

36.67%

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

$1.84 MKD 101

$1.79 MKD 97.7

2.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.3

$1.17 MKD 63.7

11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MKD 146

$2.73 MKD 149

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$3.04 MKD 166

2.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 MKD 66.7

$1.26 MKD 68.9

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.54

$0.69 MKD 37.56

7.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 95.5

$1.61 MKD 87.8

8.70%

Eggs

$2.40 MKD 131

$1.97 MKD 107

21.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MKD 445

$7.78 MKD 424

4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 MKD 405

$6.37 MKD 348

16.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 MKD 810

$12.59 MKD 687

17.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$1.47 MKD 80.3

-2.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.5

$1.32 MKD 71.8

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 74.6

$1.30 MKD 70.7

5.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 103

$1.60 MKD 87.4

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 48.32

$0.87 MKD 47.52

2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 46.04

$0.80 MKD 43.56

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.61

$0.59 MKD 32.44

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.98

$0.55 MKD 29.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MKD 185

$3.42 MKD 186

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 407

$4.51 MKD 246

65.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$1.06 MKD 57.9

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MKD 78.3

$1.46 MKD 79.7

-2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 41.68

$0.89 MKD 48.58

-14.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 MKD 1,480

$53.6 MKD 2,924

-49.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.3

$1.12 MKD 61.0

-0.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MKD 33.03

$0.62 MKD 33.69

-1.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 MKD 412

$4.87 MKD 266

55.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MKD 85.0

$1.49 MKD 81.3

4.70%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

-3.08%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

0.22%

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

$154 MKD 8,393

$99.8 MKD 5,445

54.14%

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

$18.77 MKD 1,024

$10.97 MKD 599

71.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 MKD 1,021

$18.76 MKD 1,024

-0.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 MKD 2,073

$19.98 MKD 1,090

90.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 MKD 935

$11.68 MKD 637

46.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 MKD 395

$7.21 MKD 393

0.42%

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

$351 MKD 19.1K

$116 MKD 6,348

201.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

$1,579 MKD 86.1K

263.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,671

$83.5 MKD 4,553

2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 MKD 2,020

$30.17 MKD 1,646

22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,498

$70.1 MKD 3,825

43.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,150

$52.4 MKD 2,856

115.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MKD 23.0K

$269 MKD 14.7K

56.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 MKD 17.9K

$225 MKD 12.3K

45.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 MKD 39.3K

$439 MKD 23.9K

64.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 MKD 26.6K

$355 MKD 19.4K

37.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

$1,504 MKD 82.0K

79.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

$1,328 MKD 72.4K

36.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 47.8K

$867 MKD 47.3K

0.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

3.75

12.80%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Last update for Struga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$328 29.4%

Struga

$225 25.9% 31.4% $103

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$210 18.8%

Struga

$186 21.4% 11.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$191 17.1%

Struga

$130 15% 32.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Struga

$106 12.3% 29.8% $45

Eating Out

Skopje

$150 13.4%

Struga

$125 14.4% 16.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Struga

$34 4% 34.4% $18

Getting Around

Skopje

$34 3.1%

Struga

$61 7.1% 78.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Skopje versus $269 in Struga. 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 1% higher in Skopje, 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 $30.00 in Struga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $186 – making Struga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇰 Struga

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

33,000

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Skopje Struga 110 km

From you

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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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 29% more than Struga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,300 in Struga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Struga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $351 per month in Skopje and $116 in Struga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Skopje, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Struga, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Skopje at $1,117. In Struga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Struga costs $867 versus $1,117 in Skopje. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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