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: $1,676 in Spain versus $904 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,470 in Spain versus $1,357 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,264 in Spain versus $1,810 in North Macedonia.

Living in Spain is roughly 85% more expensive than in North Macedonia on average.

Spain (24% above) and North Macedonia (33% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $957 to $2,716, compared to $750–$1,148 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.91 €14.77

$7.60 MKD 407

122.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.8

$29.01 MKD 1,554

100.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €9.91

$5.75 MKD 308

97.39%

Cappuccino

$2.39 €2.09

$1.74 MKD 93.1

37.36%

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

$2.60 €2.27

$1.67 MKD 89.4

55.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.21 MKD 64.7

56.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 €3.06

$2.22 MKD 119

57.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 €3.42

$2.76 MKD 148

42.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.28 MKD 68.8

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.71 MKD 37.87

122.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.58 MKD 84.8

4.43%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.94

$2.32 MKD 124

45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.74 €12.87

$8.29 MKD 444

77.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 €7.42

$6.71 MKD 360

26.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.94 €14.79

$12.65 MKD 678

33.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.24 MKD 66.2

104.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.48 MKD 79.4

37.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.33 MKD 71.2

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.26

$1.93 MKD 104

34.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.58

$0.96 MKD 51.3

87.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.95 MKD 51.0

108.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.65 MKD 34.65

112.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.67

$0.54 MKD 28.76

42.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.73

$3.45 MKD 185

90.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €5.05

$5.54 MKD 297

4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.08 MKD 57.8

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.37 MKD 73.5

52.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.78 MKD 41.62

124.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.33 €29.98

$27.80 MKD 1,490

23.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.29 MKD 68.9

256.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.73 MKD 39.20

101.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.35 €22.14

$6.94 MKD 372

265.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.48 MKD 79.1

19.59%

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

$35.9K €31.4K

$32.9K MKD 1.8M

8.97%

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

$29.8K €26.0K

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

-1.03%

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

$152 €133

$145 MKD 7,773

4.62%

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

$17.77 €15.51

$17.58 MKD 942

1.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 €29.06

$18.37 MKD 984

81.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 €39.95

$27.69 MKD 1,483

65.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 €13.52

$14.76 MKD 791

4.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.73

$6.66 MKD 357

50.15%

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

$546 €477

$274 MKD 14.7K

98.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,242

$4,802 MKD 257.3K

120.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 €75.7

$69.6 MKD 3,730

24.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.83 €32.17

$38.70 MKD 2,074

-4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 €79.1

$88.9 MKD 4,762

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.3

$103 MKD 5,525

4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 €917

$313 MKD 16.8K

235.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 €723

$251 MKD 13.5K

229.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,400

$548 MKD 29.4K

192.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,064

$377 MKD 20.2K

222.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,157 €3,630

$1,886 MKD 101.1K

120.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,609 €2,278

$1,356 MKD 72.6K

92.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,989 €1,737

$759 MKD 40.7K

162.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

4.69

-29.85%

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

Last update for Spain: September 22, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: September 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $923 in Spain, $280 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $1,521 in Madrid vs $432 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $2,011 in Spain, $658 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 230% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 107% more in Spain.

Public transport is 36% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 206% 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 $949 per month in North Macedonia and $1,837 in Spain, there's a 94% 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.