Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stip and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $806 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
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Stip Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$806

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stip and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stip and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $806 per month in Stip vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Stip $806
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,205 per month in Stip vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Stip $1,205
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,605 per month in Stip vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Stip $1,605
Istanbul $3,281

Stip is about 48% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Stip sits 40% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 MKD 400

$12.30 ₺609

-40.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.62 MKD 1,288

$54.7 ₺2,708

-56.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 MKD 344

$9.22 ₺456

-31.67%

Cappuccino

$1.80 MKD 98.1

$4.40 ₺218

-59.09%

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

$1.48 MKD 80.6

$1.68 ₺83.1

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.2

$0.59 ₺29.40

81.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 MKD 96.8

$4.70 ₺233

-62.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 MKD 152

$5.91 ₺292

-52.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MKD 67.2

$1.21 ₺60.0

1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 MKD 40.86

$0.89 ₺44.10

-15.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 58.1

$2.19 ₺108

-51.14%

Eggs

$2.42 MKD 132

$2.35 ₺116

2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MKD 443

$10.42 ₺516

-22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.25 MKD 395

$5.65 ₺280

28.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 MKD 407

$20.94 ₺1,037

-64.37%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 47.22

$1.90 ₺94.1

-54.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.7

$2.31 ₺114

-37.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 72.0

$1.28 ₺63.1

3.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MKD 90.8

$1.80 ₺89.0

-7.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 47.63

$0.65 ₺32.16

33.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MKD 42.51

$0.64 ₺31.91

21.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 MKD 29.07

$1.25 ₺62.1

-57.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 MKD 21.66

$0.56 ₺27.58

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 MKD 178

$2.37 ₺118

37.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MKD 396

$13.42 ₺664

-45.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.4

$2.40 ₺119

-55.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MKD 77.4

$3.48 ₺172

-59.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MKD 34.29

$0.89 ₺43.84

-29.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.20 MKD 1,266

$67.4 ₺3,338

-65.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 60.9

$1.29 ₺64.1

-13.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.63

$0.92 ₺45.70

-32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 MKD 306

$10.96 ₺542

-48.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MKD 82.7

$1.47 ₺72.9

3.40%

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

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-29.19%

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

$27.9K MKD 1.5M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-37.35%

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

$157 MKD 8,562

$88.6 ₺4,387

77.14%

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

$9.01 MKD 492

$11.59 ₺574

-22.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.56 MKD 903

$15.81 ₺783

4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.61 MKD 1,506

$77.2 ₺3,820

-64.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.17 MKD 937

$22.74 ₺1,126

-24.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MKD 338

$8.14 ₺403

-23.96%

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

$350 MKD 19.1K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-65.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,765 MKD 314.5K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-77.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.68 MKD 1,946

$54.0 ₺2,671

-33.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.62 MKD 1,670

$40.83 ₺2,021

-25.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,487

$98.9 ₺4,895

1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 6,196

$96.6 ₺4,783

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 MKD 11.0K

$985 ₺48.7K

-79.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 MKD 6,876

$650 ₺32.2K

-80.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 MKD 17.9K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-83.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MKD 10.7K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-83.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 MKD 66.2K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-61.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$958 MKD 52.3K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-46.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$462 MKD 25.2K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-61.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

40.92

-89.66%

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

Last update for Stip: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stip

$183 22.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 36.4% $67

Groceries & Markets

Stip

$177 22%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 46.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Stip

$126 15.7%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 3.5% $4.4

Accommodation & Living

Stip

$126 15.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 415% $524

Eating Out

Stip

$124 15.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 80.4% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Stip

$40 5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 134% $53

Getting Around

Stip

$30 3.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 157% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $201 in Stip versus $985 in Istanbul. 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 161% higher in Istanbul, 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 $24.00 in Stip versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $260 – making Stip the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Stip

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

1 h ahead of Stip

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Stip Istanbul 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stip
Istanbul

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

Stip vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,208 per month in Stip and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $350 per month in Stip and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Stip it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stip – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Stip. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.