Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Tetovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tetovo: $997 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Tetovo
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Tetovo Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Tetovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Tetovo

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $997 in Tetovo, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Tetovo $997

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $1,500 in Tetovo, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Tetovo $1,500

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $2,004 in Tetovo, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Tetovo $2,004

Skopje costs about 11% more than Tetovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Skopje and Tetovo are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Tetovo 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 534

$7.37 MKD 406

31.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,894

$27.68 MKD 1,526

24.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 360

$5.69 MKD 313

14.59%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$1.56 MKD 86.0

37.18%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.8

$1.51 MKD 83.1

19.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 76.1

$0.92 MKD 50.5

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 148

$2.13 MKD 118

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$2.14 MKD 118

41.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.4

$1.27 MKD 70.0

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.87

$0.62 MKD 34.30

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.31 MKD 72.2

41.22%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 138

$2.08 MKD 115

20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 447

$7.41 MKD 408

9.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 406

$5.10 MKD 281

44.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 827

$10.31 MKD 569

45.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.7

$1.46 MKD 80.2

-2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.5

$1.44 MKD 79.6

-2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.4

$0.95 MKD 52.2

37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$1.88 MKD 104

-1.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.43

$0.84 MKD 46.17

4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.84

$0.69 MKD 38.31

13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.73

$0.59 MKD 32.38

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.41

$0.53 MKD 29.32

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$3.01 MKD 166

11.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 412

$4.49 MKD 248

66.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.5

$1.05 MKD 58.1

0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.5

$1.45 MKD 79.7

3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.92

$0.35 MKD 19.10

102.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,418

$10.88 MKD 600

136.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.3

$1.10 MKD 60.7

-1.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.68

$0.53 MKD 29.04

7.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$7.37 MKD 406

1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.6

$1.49 MKD 82.0

6.71%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$34.1K MKD 1.9M

0.43%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$26.9K MKD 1.5M

-3.00%

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

$158 MKD 8,729

$159 MKD 8,739

-0.13%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,036

$17.95 MKD 989

4.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,058

$19.25 MKD 1,061

-0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,041

$69.9 MKD 3,851

-47.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 956

$18.12 MKD 999

-4.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 410

$5.41 MKD 298

37.52%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$222 MKD 12.2K

66.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 312.4K

$2,175 MKD 119.9K

160.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,717

$64.5 MKD 3,556

32.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,039

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,594

$104 MKD 5,722

-2.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,189

$111 MKD 6,108

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.7K

$351 MKD 19.3K

12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.3K

$273 MKD 15.1K

14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.4K

$583 MKD 32.1K

22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

0.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.3K

$1,231 MKD 67.9K

122.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.6K

$1,104 MKD 60.9K

66.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.3K

$861 MKD 47.4K

1.73%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Tetovo

$273 27.4% 12.9% $40

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Tetovo

$170 17.1% 19.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Tetovo

$196 19.6% 0.3% $0.6

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Tetovo

$119 12% 23% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Tetovo

$142 14.3% 6% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Tetovo

$81 8.1% 55.5% $29

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Tetovo

$16 1.6% 50.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $351 in Tetovo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $28 in Tetovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $170 – making Tetovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇰 Tetovo

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

53,000

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Skopje Tetovo 38 km

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Skopje
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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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 11% more than Tetovo, 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 $1,496 in Tetovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tetovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $394 in Skopje.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $222 in Tetovo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Skopje, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Skopje and $997 in Tetovo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Tetovo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Tetovo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 10% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.