Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Windhoek

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,182 in Windhoek, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Skopje, North Macedonia
Windhoek, Namibia
Skopje
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$1,112
/mo nomad
Windhoek
🇳🇦 Namibia
$1,182
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Windhoek

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,182 in Windhoek, rent included.

  • Skopje $1,112
  • Windhoek $1,182

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $2,028 in Windhoek, rent included.

  • Skopje $1,657
  • Windhoek $2,028

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $2,875 in Windhoek, rent included.

  • Skopje $2,202
  • Windhoek $2,875

Skopje is about 6% cheaper than Windhoek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Skopje and Windhoek are more affordable than the global median – Skopje 18% lower, Windhoek 13% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.68 MKD 534
$11.47 NAD 191
-15.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.35 MKD 1,894
$64.4 NAD 1,073
-46.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.52 MKD 360
$6.05 NAD 101
7.77%
Cappuccino
$2.14 MKD 118
$2.28 NAD 37.99
-6.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 MKD 99.8
$0.86 NAD 14.38
110.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 MKD 76.1
$0.92 NAD 15.38
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.68 MKD 148
$1.92 NAD 32.05
39.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 MKD 167
$2.09 NAD 34.79
44.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 MKD 70.4
$1.57 NAD 26.23
-18.47%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 MKD 40.87
$0.88 NAD 14.69
-15.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 MKD 102
$1.96 NAD 32.59
-5.61%
Eggs
$2.50 MKD 138
$3.14 NAD 52.3
-20.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.11 MKD 447
$9.44 NAD 157
-14.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.36 MKD 406
$6.87 NAD 115
7.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.00 MKD 827
$7.66 NAD 128
95.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.43 MKD 78.7
$2.14 NAD 35.71
-33.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 MKD 77.5
$1.98 NAD 32.97
-28.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 MKD 72.4
$1.79 NAD 29.80
-26.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.86 MKD 103
$1.99 NAD 33.10
-6.53%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 MKD 48.43
$1.94 NAD 32.30
-54.64%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 MKD 42.84
$1.80 NAD 29.93
-56.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 MKD 34.73
$1.96 NAD 32.69
-67.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 MKD 32.41
$1.07 NAD 17.76
-44.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.36 MKD 185
$3.35 NAD 55.8
0.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 MKD 412
$6.48 NAD 108
15.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 MKD 58.5
$1.43 NAD 23.85
-25.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 MKD 82.5
$1.38 NAD 23.07
8.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.71 MKD 38.92
$0.80 NAD 13.26
-11.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.73 MKD 1,418
$48.86 NAD 814
-47.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 MKD 59.3
$0.75 NAD 12.55
44.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 MKD 31.68
$0.94 NAD 15.68
-39.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.50 MKD 413
$15.38 NAD 256
-51.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.59 MKD 87.6
$1.40 NAD 23.31
13.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K MKD 1.9M
$24.6K NAD 409.1K
39.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K MKD 1.4M
$31.7K NAD 527.8K
-17.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 MKD 8,729
$138 NAD 2,307
14.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 MKD 1,036
$26.65 NAD 444
-29.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.20 MKD 1,058
$49.49 NAD 825
-61.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.03 MKD 2,041
$36.77 NAD 613
0.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.35 MKD 956
$10.40 NAD 173
66.83%
Cinema Ticket
$7.44 MKD 410
$5.29 NAD 88.1
40.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$369 MKD 20.3K
$210 NAD 3,507
75.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,668 MKD 312.4K
$5,340 NAD 89.0K
6.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.6 MKD 4,717
$54.2 NAD 903
57.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.99 MKD 2,039
$34.80 NAD 580
6.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 MKD 5,594
$88.4 NAD 1,473
14.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MKD 6,189
$94.4 NAD 1,573
18.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$394 MKD 21.7K
$502 NAD 8,362
-21.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$314 MKD 17.3K
$358 NAD 5,970
-12.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$715 MKD 39.4K
$1,456 NAD 24.3K
-50.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$483 MKD 26.6K
$974 NAD 16.2K
-50.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,745 MKD 151.3K
$1,617 NAD 26.9K
69.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,844 MKD 101.6K
$608 NAD 10.1K
203.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Skopje
Windhoek
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 MKD 48.3K
$997 NAD 16.6K
-12.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.23
11.42
-62.96%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Skopje
$314
Windhoek
$358 14.2% $45
Groceries & Markets
Skopje
$211
Windhoek
$223 5.8% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skopje
$196
Windhoek
$215 9.3% $18
Eating Out
Skopje
$155
Windhoek
$158 2.1% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
Skopje
$151
Windhoek
$122 19.2% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Skopje
$52
Windhoek
$47 8.8% $4.6
Getting Around
Skopje
$33
Windhoek
$58 76.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $502 in Windhoek. 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 14% higher in Windhoek. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $64 in Windhoek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $223 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇰 Skopje
🇳🇦 Windhoek
🕒 Local time
21:48 9:48 PM
22:48 10:48 PM
1 h ahead of Skopje
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
422,540 Capital
322,500 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 NAD (100 NAD = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 NAD (100 NAD = 5.39 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Skopje Windhoek 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Skopje
  • Windhoek

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 Windhoek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Skopje or Windhoek?
Windhoek costs about 6% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Skopje and in Windhoek?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Skopje and $1,772 in Windhoek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Skopje or Windhoek?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $502 in Windhoek.
How do childcare costs compare in Skopje and in Windhoek?
Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $210 in Windhoek. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Skopje or in Windhoek?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Windhoek, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Skopje or in Windhoek?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Skopje and $1,182 in Windhoek. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Skopje or Windhoek?
It depends on your priorities. Skopje has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,112 in Skopje to $1,182 in Windhoek. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Skopje or to Windhoek?
If budget matters most, go with Skopje. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Windhoek makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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