Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Veles

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $766 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
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Veles Living Index

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Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Veles

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $766 in Veles, rent included.

Skopje $1,112
Veles $766

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $1,137 in Veles, rent included.

Skopje $1,657
Veles $1,137

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $1,507 in Veles, rent included.

Skopje $2,202
Veles $1,507

Skopje costs about 45% more than Veles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Skopje and Veles are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Veles 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 MKD 533

$8.78 MKD 483

10.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,890

$18.09 MKD 995

89.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MKD 359

$5.43 MKD 299

20.07%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MKD 118

$1.56 MKD 85.7

37.18%

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

$1.81 MKD 99.6

$1.33 MKD 73.3

36.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MKD 76.0

$0.82 MKD 45.00

68.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MKD 148

$1.47 MKD 81.1

82.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 167

$3.11 MKD 171

-2.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MKD 70.3

$1.03 MKD 56.6

24.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.80

$0.53 MKD 29.29

39.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MKD 102

$1.51 MKD 83.3

22.52%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 138

$2.48 MKD 136

0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MKD 446

$2.97 MKD 163

173.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 MKD 405

$3.93 MKD 216

87.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 MKD 825

$15.02 MKD 826

-0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.6

$1.44 MKD 79.1

-0.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.3

$1.46 MKD 80.4

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$1.34 MKD 73.7

-2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 103

$1.89 MKD 104

-1.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.34

$0.90 MKD 49.68

-2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.76

$0.83 MKD 45.91

-6.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.67

$0.59 MKD 32.73

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.36

$0.60 MKD 32.90

-1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$3.23 MKD 178

4.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 MKD 411

$6.22 MKD 342

20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.4

$1.02 MKD 56.2

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 82.3

$1.44 MKD 79.3

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.85

$0.80 MKD 43.93

-11.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.73 MKD 1,416

$23.73 MKD 1,306

8.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.2

$1.10 MKD 60.7

-1.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MKD 31.63

$0.58 MKD 31.70

-1.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 413

$7.67 MKD 422

-2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.5

$1.40 MKD 76.8

13.57%

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

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

$26.5K MKD 1.5M

29.40%

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

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

$24.8K MKD 1.4M

5.13%

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

$158 MKD 8,713

$108 MKD 5,963

46.09%

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

$18.80 MKD 1,034

$16.80 MKD 924

11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 MKD 1,056

$12.21 MKD 672

57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MKD 2,037

$25.03 MKD 1,377

47.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 MKD 955

$17.81 MKD 980

-2.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 MKD 409

$3.37 MKD 185

120.77%

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

$369 MKD 20.3K

$214 MKD 11.8K

72.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 MKD 311.9K

$5,661 MKD 311.5K

0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MKD 4,709

$21.40 MKD 1,177

299.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,035

$18.01 MKD 991

105.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,584

$73.6 MKD 4,047

37.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,178

$109 MKD 5,977

3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MKD 21.7K

$223 MKD 12.2K

76.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MKD 17.3K

$169 MKD 9,289

85.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 MKD 39.3K

$290 MKD 15.9K

146.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

$232 MKD 12.8K

108.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

$1,181 MKD 65.0K

132.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 MKD 101.5K

$940 MKD 51.7K

96.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 MKD 48.2K

$586 MKD 32.2K

49.46%

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 Veles: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$314 28.2%

Veles

$169 22% 46.2% $145

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$211 19%

Veles

$170 22.2% 19.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$196 17.7%

Veles

$137 17.9% 30% $59

Eating Out

Skopje

$155 13.9%

Veles

$127 16.6% 17.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$151 13.6%

Veles

$100 13% 34.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$52 4.7%

Veles

$32 4.1% 38.8% $20

Getting Around

Skopje

$33 2.9%

Veles

$31 4% 4.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $223 in Veles. 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 49% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $18 in Veles. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $170 – making Veles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇲🇰 Veles

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

43,716

💱 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 Veles 42 km

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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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 45% more than Veles, 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 $1,667 per month in Skopje and $1,150 in Veles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Veles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $394 in Skopje.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $214 in Veles. 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.

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