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: $1,642 in Spain versus $866 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Spain versus $1,293 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $1,719 in North Macedonia.

Living in Spain is roughly 90% more expensive than North Macedonia on average.

Spain (22% above) and North Macedonia (36% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,127 to $3,255, compared to $759–$1,105 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 €13.77

$7.58 MKD 402

110.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €49.63

$28.00 MKD 1,486

105.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.85

$5.80 MKD 308

77.07%

Cappuccino

$2.38 €2.05

$1.84 MKD 97.8

29.35%

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

$2.58 €2.22

$1.75 MKD 92.7

47.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.23 MKD 65.3

48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 €3.05

$2.32 MKD 123

52.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.52

$2.89 MKD 153

41.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.30 MKD 69.2

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.31

$0.71 MKD 37.48

115.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.61 MKD 85.3

-0.62%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.53

$2.25 MKD 119

30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 €12.34

$8.88 MKD 471

61.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 €7.16

$7.41 MKD 393

12.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 €13.46

$12.27 MKD 651

27.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$0.99 MKD 52.6

155.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.42 MKD 75.5

40.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.30 MKD 69.0

62.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.91 MKD 101

32.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.93 MKD 49.27

90.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$0.99 MKD 52.3

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.68 MKD 36.27

91.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.56 MKD 29.98

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 €5.33

$3.13 MKD 166

97.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 €5.11

$6.37 MKD 338

-6.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.04 MKD 55.1

20.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.47 MKD 78.1

40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.53

$0.77 MKD 41.11

131.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.91 €30.08

$28.14 MKD 1,493

24.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €3.86

$1.15 MKD 61.1

289.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.15

$0.56 MKD 29.79

139.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.24 €22.61

$7.67 MKD 407

242.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.53 MKD 81.4

15.03%

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

$38.2K €32.9K

$34.5K MKD 1.8M

10.91%

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

$31.6K €27.3K

$31.1K MKD 1.6M

1.79%

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

$149 €128

$149 MKD 7,879

0.11%

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

$20.16 €17.37

$17.59 MKD 933

14.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 €29.39

$18.74 MKD 994

82.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.12 €40.60

$31.81 MKD 1,688

48.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 €13.64

$14.49 MKD 769

9.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.16

$6.50 MKD 345

45.69%

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

$517 €445

$283 MKD 15.0K

82.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,752

$4,106 MKD 217.9K

147.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 €75.1

$69.6 MKD 3,695

25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.36 €32.19

$41.42 MKD 2,198

-9.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 €78.7

$96.9 MKD 5,140

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.0

$111 MKD 5,866

-4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 €925

$349 MKD 18.5K

207.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 €702

$257 MKD 13.7K

216.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 €1,457

$574 MKD 30.4K

194.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,058

$399 MKD 21.2K

207.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,338 €3,738

$2,026 MKD 107.5K

114.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,744 €2,364

$1,397 MKD 74.1K

96.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,031 €1,750

$750 MKD 39.8K

170.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

4.76

-26.26%

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

Last update for Spain: June 9, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $285 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $1,609 in Madrid vs $429 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $2,011 in Spain, $662 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 215% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 104% more in Spain.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 204% higher in Spain, giving Spain stronger purchasing power.

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 $932 per month in North Macedonia and $2,191 in Spain, there's a 135% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

North Macedonia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.