Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skopje and Zielona Gora

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,115 a month against $1,444 in Zielona Gora, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zielona Gora outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
Learn more

Skopje Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Zielona Gora
Learn more

Zielona Gora Living Index

Jump to prices

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,115

/mo nomad

Zielona Gora

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skopje and in Zielona Gora

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

A single person spends $1,115 per month in Skopje vs $1,444 in Zielona Gora, rent included.

Skopje $1,115
Zielona Gora $1,444

A couple spends around $1,664 per month in Skopje vs $1,992 in Zielona Gora, rent included.

Skopje $1,664
Zielona Gora $1,992

A family of three spends $2,214 per month in Skopje vs $2,540 in Zielona Gora, rent included.

Skopje $2,214
Zielona Gora $2,540

Skopje is about 23% cheaper than Zielona Gora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Skopje sits 18% below the global median, while Zielona Gora is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.34 MKD 509

$10.29 zł 40.00

-9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 MKD 1,874

$43.03 zł 167

-20.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 MKD 357

$7.18 zł 27.90

-8.91%

Cappuccino

$2.04 MKD 112

$3.25 zł 12.61

-37.23%

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

$1.88 MKD 103

$1.46 zł 5.66

28.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 MKD 74.3

$1.55 zł 6.04

-12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 MKD 151

$3.78 zł 14.69

-26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 165

$2.62 zł 10.18

15.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 70.4

$0.98 zł 3.81

31.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MKD 40.03

$1.48 zł 5.77

-50.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 MKD 98.8

$0.91 zł 3.53

98.90%

Eggs

$2.44 MKD 133

$3.36 zł 13.06

-27.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 MKD 422

$8.83 zł 34.31

-12.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 MKD 415

$4.27 zł 16.57

77.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 MKD 813

$10.33 zł 40.14

44.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 MKD 81.1

$0.89 zł 3.46

67.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MKD 76.5

$1.48 zł 5.75

-5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 75.0

$1.56 zł 6.06

-12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MKD 103

$1.94 zł 7.53

-3.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.99

$0.79 zł 3.07

13.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 45.65

$1.17 zł 4.55

-28.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 MKD 31.66

$1.05 zł 4.09

-44.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 30.17

$0.48 zł 1.87

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 MKD 191

$5.34 zł 20.76

-34.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 MKD 389

$5.71 zł 22.20

24.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.6

$0.94 zł 3.66

13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MKD 81.9

$1.43 zł 5.54

4.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 38.54

$0.75 zł 2.92

-5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 MKD 1,485

$24.76 zł 96.2

9.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 61.1

$2.22 zł 8.64

-49.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MKD 31.57

$0.84 zł 3.26

-30.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 MKD 409

$9.83 zł 38.20

-23.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MKD 87.0

$1.58 zł 6.13

0.63%

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

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

$31.1K zł 120.9K

7.84%

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

$26.5K MKD 1.4M

$28.7K zł 111.5K

-7.67%

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

$157 MKD 8,569

$262 zł 1,018

-40.04%

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

$18.34 MKD 1,000

$8.20 zł 31.85

123.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.32 MKD 1,054

$16.62 zł 64.6

16.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.60 MKD 2,105

$36.15 zł 140

6.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 MKD 933

$8.92 zł 34.64

91.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 MKD 402

$7.79 zł 30.25

-5.39%

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

$356 MKD 19.4K

$326 zł 1,266

9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,733 MKD 312.7K

$5,195 zł 20.2K

10.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 MKD 4,512

$82.2 zł 319

0.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 MKD 2,022

$36.24 zł 141

2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,508

$76.4 zł 297

32.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,107

$103 zł 401

8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MKD 23.0K

$517 zł 2,008

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 MKD 17.5K

$575 zł 2,234

-44.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 MKD 40.0K

$917 zł 3,563

-19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 MKD 27.5K

$758 zł 2,947

-33.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,703 MKD 147.4K

$3,052 zł 11.9K

-11.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 MKD 101.1K

$2,227 zł 8,653

-16.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$875 MKD 47.7K

$1,984 zł 7,707

-55.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

6.02

-29.73%

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

Last update for Skopje: October 18, 2026

Last update for Zielona Gora: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skopje

$321 28.8%

Zielona Gora

$575 39.8% 79% $254

Groceries & Markets

Skopje

$210 18.8%

Zielona Gora

$183 12.7% 12.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skopje

$195 17.5%

Zielona Gora

$287 19.9% 47.3% $92

Eating Out

Skopje

$152 13.6%

Zielona Gora

$179 12.4% 18% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Skopje

$150 13.4%

Zielona Gora

$134 9.3% 10.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Skopje

$53 4.8%

Zielona Gora

$52 3.6% 3% $1.6

Getting Around

Skopje

$34 3.1%

Zielona Gora

$34 2.4% 0.4% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Skopje versus $517 in Zielona Gora. 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 127% higher in Zielona Gora, 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 $34.00 in Skopje versus $43.00 in Zielona Gora. Groceries tell a different story – $210 in Skopje vs $183 in Zielona Gora – so Zielona Gora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Skopje

🇵🇱 Zielona Gora

🕒 Local time

16:31 4:31 PM

Same time as Skopje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

422,540 Capital

118,433

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skopje Zielona Gora 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Skopje
Zielona Gora

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 Zielona Gora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zielona Gora costs about 30% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,672 per month in Skopje and $2,166 in Zielona Gora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $356 per month in Skopje and $326 in Zielona Gora. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Zielona Gora – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,115, than in Zielona Gora at $1,444. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zielona Gora it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,115 versus $1,444 in Zielona Gora. 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 Skopje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zielona Gora makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.