Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Strumica

For one person, living is cheaper in Strumica: $866 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Strumica
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Strumica Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Strumica

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Strumica

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $866 in Strumica, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Strumica $866

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $1,222 in Strumica, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Strumica $1,222

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $1,579 in Strumica, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Strumica $1,579

Skopje costs about 28% more than Strumica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Skopje and Strumica are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Strumica 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 533

$3.57 MKD 197

171.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,890

$22.29 MKD 1,226

54.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$3.73 MKD 205

74.80%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$1.53 MKD 84.0

39.87%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$1.40 MKD 77.0

29.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 76.0

$1.15 MKD 63.0

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 148

$1.85 MKD 102

44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$1.98 MKD 109

53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.3

$1.29 MKD 70.9

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.80

$0.74 MKD 40.45

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.70 MKD 93.8

8.82%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 138

$2.12 MKD 117

17.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$7.99 MKD 440

1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$6.19 MKD 341

18.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

$9.90 MKD 544

51.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.6

$0.61 MKD 33.70

134.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

$1.38 MKD 76.0

2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$1.20 MKD 66.3

9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$1.97 MKD 108

-5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.34

$0.83 MKD 45.55

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.76

$0.77 MKD 42.48

1.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.67

$0.64 MKD 35.22

-1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.36

$0.59 MKD 32.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$2.72 MKD 149

23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$5.37 MKD 296

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$0.95 MKD 52.4

11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

$1.20 MKD 65.9

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.85

$0.70 MKD 38.57

1.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,416

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$1.07 MKD 59.1

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.63

$0.62 MKD 33.86

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$7.73 MKD 425

-2.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$1.57 MKD 86.6

1.27%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$33.6K MKD 1.9M

1.95%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$26.4K MKD 1.5M

-1.17%

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

$158 MKD 8,713

$150 MKD 8,243

5.69%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

$12.85 MKD 707

46.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

$18.35 MKD 1,010

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$20.22 MKD 1,113

83.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 955

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$7.10 MKD 391

4.79%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$365 MKD 20.1K

1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.9K

$5,764 MKD 317.1K

-1.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,709

$85.7 MKD 4,717

-0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

$36.58 MKD 2,012

1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,584

$104 MKD 5,709

-2.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,178

$91.8 MKD 5,049

22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.7K

$308 MKD 17.0K

27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.3K

$241 MKD 13.3K

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$493 MKD 27.1K

45.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$298 MKD 16.4K

62.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

$1,484 MKD 81.7K

84.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.5K

$979 MKD 53.9K

88.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$640 MKD 35.2K

36.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

5.75%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Strumica: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Strumica

$241 27.8% 23.2% $73

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Strumica

$178 20.5% 15.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Strumica

$181 20.9% 7.8% $15

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Strumica

$81 9.4% 47.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Strumica

$143 16.5% 5.5% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Strumica

$34 4% 33.7% $17

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Strumica

$7 * 0.8% 78.6% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $308 in Strumica. 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 37% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $22 in Strumica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $178 – making Strumica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇰 Strumica

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

36,000

💱 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

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Skopje Strumica 120 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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 28% more than Strumica, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,298 in Strumica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Strumica, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $308 there versus $394 in Skopje.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,112 in Skopje and $866 in Strumica. That makes Strumica about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $365 in Strumica. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Skopje and $866 in Strumica. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Skopje has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Strumica to $1,112 in Skopje. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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