Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Tomsk

For one person, living costs are similar in Skopje and in Tomsk: $1,117 and $1,096 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
Learn more

Skopje Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
Learn more

Tomsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Tomsk

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

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Skopje vs $1,096 in Tomsk, rent included.

Skopje $1,117
Tomsk $1,096

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Skopje vs $1,687 in Tomsk, rent included.

Skopje $1,654
Tomsk $1,687

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Skopje vs $2,277 in Tomsk, rent included.

Skopje $2,191
Tomsk $2,277

Skopje costs about 2% more than Tomsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Skopje and Tomsk are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 17% lower, Tomsk 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 MKD 507

$7.70 ₽642

20.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 MKD 1,857

$29.26 ₽2,442

16.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 MKD 343

$6.39 ₽533

-1.72%

Cappuccino

$2.05 MKD 112

$2.20 ₽184

-6.82%

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

$1.84 MKD 101

$0.89 ₽74.5

106.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MKD 71.3

$0.41 ₽33.91

219.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MKD 146

$1.12 ₽93.2

138.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 170

$3.18 ₽266

-2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 MKD 66.7

$1.22 ₽102

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.54

$0.72 ₽60.0

2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MKD 95.5

$0.93 ₽77.8

88.17%

Eggs

$2.40 MKD 131

$1.36 ₽113

76.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MKD 445

$11.41 ₽952

-28.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 MKD 405

$4.45 ₽371

66.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 MKD 810

$9.18 ₽766

61.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$1.66 ₽139

-13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.5

$1.97 ₽165

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 74.6

$2.12 ₽177

-35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 103

$2.87 ₽240

-33.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 48.32

$0.42 ₽34.81

111.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 46.04

$0.37 ₽31.00

127.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.61

$1.72 ₽144

-63.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.98

$0.48 ₽39.65

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MKD 185

$2.69 ₽225

26.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MKD 407

$5.81 ₽485

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$0.90 ₽74.8

12.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MKD 78.3

$1.65 ₽138

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 41.68

$0.47 ₽39.36

61.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 MKD 1,480

$8.45 ₽706

221.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.3

$2.32 ₽193

-52.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MKD 33.03

$0.29 ₽24.19

110.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 MKD 412

$7.22 ₽602

4.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MKD 85.0

$0.85 ₽71.0

83.53%

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

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

$36.0K ₽3.0M

-3.06%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

$30.9K ₽2.6M

-11.47%

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

$154 MKD 8,393

$166 ₽13.9K

-7.38%

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

$18.77 MKD 1,024

$7.75 ₽647

142.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 MKD 1,021

$13.19 ₽1,101

41.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 MKD 2,073

$37.44 ₽3,125

1.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 MKD 935

$16.03 ₽1,338

6.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 MKD 395

$4.87 ₽407

48.67%

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

$351 MKD 19.1K

$240 ₽20.0K

46.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,671

$115 ₽9,630

-25.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 MKD 2,020

$71.8 ₽5,990

-48.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,498

$166 ₽13.9K

-39.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,150

$119 ₽9,972

-5.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MKD 23.0K

$479 ₽40.0K

-11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 MKD 17.9K

$321 ₽26.8K

1.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 MKD 39.3K

$779 ₽65.0K

-7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 MKD 26.6K

$628 ₽52.4K

-22.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

$1,992 ₽166.3K

35.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

$1,455 ₽121.4K

24.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 47.8K

$901 ₽75.2K

-2.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

-80.77%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$328 29.4%

Tomsk

$321 29.3% 2% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$210 18.8%

Tomsk

$190 17.3% 9.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$191 17.1%

Tomsk

$187 17.1% 2.2% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Tomsk

$213 19.4% 40.7% $62

Eating Out

Skopje

$150 13.4%

Tomsk

$124 11.3% 17.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Tomsk

$47 4.3% 10.1% $5.3

Getting Around

Skopje

$34 3.1%

Tomsk

$14 1.3% 58.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Skopje versus $479 in Tomsk. 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 3% higher in Tomsk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Skopje versus $29.00 in Tomsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $190 – making Tomsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

5 h ahead of Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

551,505

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Tomsk 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Tomsk

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 Tomsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 2% more than Tomsk, 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 $1,645 in Tomsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tomsk, 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 $240 in Tomsk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tomsk, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Skopje at $1,117. In Tomsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tomsk costs $1,096 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 Tomsk. 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.