Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Yekaterinburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,429 in Yekaterinburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Skopje, North Macedonia
Yekaterinburg, Russia
Skopje
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$1,112
/mo nomad
Yekaterinburg
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,429
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Yekaterinburg

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Skopje vs $1,429 in Yekaterinburg, rent included.

  • Skopje $1,112
  • Yekaterinburg $1,429

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Skopje vs $2,334 in Yekaterinburg, rent included.

  • Skopje $1,657
  • Yekaterinburg $2,334

A family of three spends $2,202 per month in Skopje vs $3,238 in Yekaterinburg, rent included.

  • Skopje $2,202
  • Yekaterinburg $3,238

Skopje is about 22% cheaper than Yekaterinburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Skopje sits 18% below the global median, while Yekaterinburg is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.68 MKD 534
$13.57 ₽1,094
-28.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.35 MKD 1,894
$51.7 ₽4,169
-33.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.52 MKD 360
$6.85 ₽553
-4.82%
Cappuccino
$2.14 MKD 118
$2.54 ₽205
-15.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 MKD 99.8
$1.25 ₽100
44.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 MKD 76.1
$0.39 ₽31.78
253.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.68 MKD 148
$2.37 ₽191
13.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 MKD 167
$3.01 ₽243
0.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 MKD 70.4
$1.23 ₽98.9
4.07%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 MKD 40.87
$0.69 ₽55.9
7.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 MKD 102
$1.25 ₽101
48.00%
Eggs
$2.50 MKD 138
$1.74 ₽140
43.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.11 MKD 447
$11.72 ₽946
-30.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.36 MKD 406
$5.57 ₽449
32.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.00 MKD 827
$13.66 ₽1,102
9.81%
Apples (1kg)
$1.43 MKD 78.7
$2.10 ₽170
-31.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 MKD 77.5
$1.78 ₽143
-20.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 MKD 72.4
$1.50 ₽121
-12.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.86 MKD 103
$2.83 ₽228
-34.28%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 MKD 48.43
$0.71 ₽57.4
23.94%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 MKD 42.84
$0.58 ₽46.68
34.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 MKD 34.73
$1.54 ₽124
-59.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 MKD 32.41
$0.97 ₽78.3
-39.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.36 MKD 185
$3.49 ₽282
-3.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.48 MKD 412
$7.58 ₽611
-1.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 MKD 58.5
$1.43 ₽116
-25.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 MKD 82.5
$2.68 ₽216
-44.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.71 MKD 38.92
$0.51 ₽41.10
39.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.73 MKD 1,418
$18.31 ₽1,476
40.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 MKD 59.3
$4.30 ₽346
-74.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 MKD 31.68
$0.22 ₽17.47
159.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.50 MKD 413
$4.47 ₽361
67.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.59 MKD 87.6
$0.88 ₽70.9
80.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K MKD 1.9M
$54.2K ₽4.4M
-36.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K MKD 1.4M
$38.6K ₽3.1M
-32.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 MKD 8,729
$125 ₽10.1K
26.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 MKD 1,036
$6.04 ₽487
211.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.20 MKD 1,058
$12.47 ₽1,006
53.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.03 MKD 2,041
$44.86 ₽3,618
-17.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.35 MKD 956
$37.83 ₽3,051
-54.14%
Cinema Ticket
$7.44 MKD 410
$7.46 ₽602
-0.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$369 MKD 20.3K
$362 ₽29.2K
1.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,668 MKD 312.4K
$3,836 ₽309.4K
47.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.6 MKD 4,717
$141 ₽11.4K
-39.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.99 MKD 2,039
$106 ₽8,539
-65.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 MKD 5,594
$242 ₽19.5K
-58.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MKD 6,189
$179 ₽14.5K
-37.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$394 MKD 21.7K
$816 ₽65.8K
-51.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$314 MKD 17.3K
$490 ₽39.5K
-36.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$715 MKD 39.4K
$1,347 ₽108.6K
-46.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$483 MKD 26.6K
$1,051 ₽84.7K
-54.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,745 MKD 151.3K
$2,598 ₽209.5K
5.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,844 MKD 101.6K
$1,737 ₽140.1K
6.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Skopje
Yekaterinburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 MKD 48.3K
$965 ₽77.8K
-9.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.23
22.22
-80.96%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Last update for Yekaterinburg: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Skopje
$314
Yekaterinburg
$490 56.3% $177
Groceries & Markets
Skopje
$211
Yekaterinburg
$225 6.8% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skopje
$196
Yekaterinburg
$143 27% $53
Eating Out
Skopje
$155
Yekaterinburg
$184 18.7% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Skopje
$151
Yekaterinburg
$301 98.6% $149
Sport & Entertainment
Skopje
$52
Yekaterinburg
$60 15.2% $7.9
Getting Around
Skopje
$33
Yekaterinburg
$26 20.9% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Skopje versus $816 in Yekaterinburg. 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 10% higher in Yekaterinburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Skopje versus $52 in Yekaterinburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $225 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇰 Skopje
🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg
🕒 Local time
00:15 12:15 AM
04:15 4:15 AM
4 h ahead of Skopje
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
422,540 Capital
1,495,066
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 80.65 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.78 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Skopje Yekaterinburg 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Skopje
  • Yekaterinburg

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 Yekaterinburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Skopje or Yekaterinburg?
Yekaterinburg costs about 29% more than Skopje, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Skopje and in Yekaterinburg?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Skopje and $2,143 in Yekaterinburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Skopje or Yekaterinburg?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $816 in Yekaterinburg.
How do childcare costs compare in Skopje and in Yekaterinburg?
Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Skopje and $362 in Yekaterinburg. 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 Yekaterinburg?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Yekaterinburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Skopje or in Yekaterinburg?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Skopje and $1,429 in Yekaterinburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Skopje or Yekaterinburg?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,112 versus $1,429 in Yekaterinburg. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Skopje or to Yekaterinburg?
If budget matters most, go with Skopje. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yekaterinburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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