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: $1,644 in Spain versus $867 in North Macedonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,400 in Spain versus $1,296 in North Macedonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $1,725 in North Macedonia.

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

Spain (23% above) and North Macedonia (35% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,115 to $3,300, compared to $759–$1,083 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 €13.70

$7.70 MKD 406

107.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €50.5

$28.92 MKD 1,525

103.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 €8.79

$5.73 MKD 302

79.06%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.96

$1.95 MKD 103

17.44%

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

$2.59 €2.22

$1.79 MKD 94.4

44.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.17 MKD 61.9

54.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.02

$2.28 MKD 120

54.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.44

$2.85 MKD 150

41.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.29 MKD 68.2

-3.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.30

$0.77 MKD 40.77

97.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.68 MKD 88.4

-4.76%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.55

$2.23 MKD 118

33.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 €12.41

$9.00 MKD 474

61.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 €7.16

$7.20 MKD 379

16.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.65

$12.44 MKD 656

28.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.05 MKD 55.2

141.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.41 MKD 74.1

48.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.29 MKD 68.2

59.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.26

$1.93 MKD 102

36.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.92 MKD 48.34

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$0.98 MKD 51.4

94.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.65 MKD 34.45

104.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.68

$0.56 MKD 29.77

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.50

$3.15 MKD 166

104.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €4.99

$6.55 MKD 346

-11.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.07 MKD 56.5

15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.43 MKD 75.6

47.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.77 MKD 40.35

120.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.64 €29.65

$28.52 MKD 1,504

21.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.94

$1.10 MKD 58.2

318.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 €1.15

$0.62 MKD 32.56

117.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.00 €23.11

$7.72 MKD 407

249.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.50 MKD 79.2

22.67%

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

$38.3K €32.8K

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

14.62%

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

$31.2K €26.7K

$31.0K MKD 1.6M

0.79%

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

$151 €129

$152 MKD 8,007

-0.51%

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

$20.30 €17.38

$17.97 MKD 948

12.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €28.43

$18.28 MKD 964

81.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 €40.56

$30.94 MKD 1,631

53.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 €13.47

$14.41 MKD 760

9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.65 MKD 351

36.24%

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

$523 €447

$281 MKD 14.8K

85.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,978 €8,541

$4,094 MKD 215.9K

143.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.1

$71.4 MKD 3,765

22.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 €31.94

$41.96 MKD 2,212

-11.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €76.0

$95.2 MKD 5,017

-6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.0

$110 MKD 5,774

-2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €901

$342 MKD 18.0K

207.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €692

$262 MKD 13.8K

208.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 €1,433

$562 MKD 29.6K

197.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,038

$396 MKD 20.9K

206.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,487 €3,841

$1,995 MKD 105.2K

124.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,733 €2,339

$1,489 MKD 78.5K

83.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,111 €1,807

$782 MKD 41.3K

169.77%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for North Macedonia: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $899 in Spain, $282 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $1,595 in Madrid vs $423 in Skopje.

National salary averages: $2,010 in Spain, $685 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 219% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 104% more in Spain.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 193% 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 $921 per month in North Macedonia and $2,208 in Spain, there's a 140% 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.