Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and North Macedonia Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and North Macedonia

Name: North Macedonia
Address: MK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,657 in Spain versus $904 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,452 in Spain versus $1,355 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,247 in Spain versus $1,806 in North Macedonia.

Living in Spain is roughly 83% more expensive than in North Macedonia on average.

Spain (22% above) and North Macedonia (33% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $913 to $2,696, compared to $587–$1,138 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.03

$7.67 MKD 409

125.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €49.20

$27.58 MKD 1,471

105.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 €9.78

$5.58 MKD 298

102.15%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.14

$1.78 MKD 95.1

38.76%

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

$2.56 €2.22

$1.72 MKD 91.7

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.19 MKD 63.3

61.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 €2.90

$2.26 MKD 121

48.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 €3.58

$2.71 MKD 144

52.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.28 MKD 68.4

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.33

$0.71 MKD 37.64

116.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.68 MKD 89.9

0.60%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.93

$2.33 MKD 124

45.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 €12.51

$8.58 MKD 458

68.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 €7.45

$6.87 MKD 366

25.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.63 €14.41

$12.16 MKD 649

36.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.26

$1.23 MKD 65.8

112.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.50 MKD 80.0

38.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.37 MKD 73.2

53.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.28

$2.01 MKD 107

30.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$0.92 MKD 48.92

105.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.03 MKD 55.1

93.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.64 MKD 33.90

117.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.54 MKD 28.63

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 €5.66

$3.44 MKD 184

89.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.10

$5.69 MKD 303

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.07 MKD 57.3

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.39 MKD 73.9

51.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.74 MKD 39.27

137.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.79 €30.16

$27.36 MKD 1,460

27.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €3.94

$1.29 MKD 68.6

251.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.27

$0.70 MKD 37.22

108.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.83 €21.52

$6.87 MKD 367

261.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.45 MKD 77.6

16.55%

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

$36.5K €31.7K

$34.8K MKD 1.9M

4.94%

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

$30.7K €26.6K

$29.8K MKD 1.6M

2.90%

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

$155 €135

$147 MKD 7,850

5.47%

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

$18.24 €15.82

$17.27 MKD 921

5.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.76 €28.40

$18.32 MKD 977

78.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 €41.05

$28.23 MKD 1,506

67.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.79 €13.69

$14.56 MKD 777

8.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.65 €8.37

$6.45 MKD 344

49.61%

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

$556 €482

$282 MKD 15.0K

97.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,294

$4,571 MKD 243.9K

134.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €75.1

$69.8 MKD 3,725

24.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.61 €32.61

$38.95 MKD 2,078

-3.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$89.8 MKD 4,789

2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €95.8

$105 MKD 5,604

5.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €892

$311 MKD 16.6K

230.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 €696

$236 MKD 12.6K

239.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 €1,452

$538 MKD 28.7K

211.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 €1,079

$369 MKD 19.7K

237.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,300 €3,728

$1,942 MKD 103.6K

121.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,642 €2,290

$1,301 MKD 69.4K

103.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,007 €1,740

$766 MKD 40.9K

161.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

4.73

-30.23%

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

Last update for Spain: August 2, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: August 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $907 in Spain, $270 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $1,612 in Madrid vs $424 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $2,014 in Spain, $660 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 236% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 115% more in Spain.

Public transport is 43% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 205% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

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

Spain vs North Macedonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $863 per month in North Macedonia and $1,805 in Spain, there's a 109% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in North Macedonia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Spain is consistently higher than in North Macedonia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In North Macedonia, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: North Macedonia wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.