Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stip and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $809 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$809

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stip and in Skopje

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 Skopje actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $809 per month in Stip vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Stip $809
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $1,210 per month in Stip vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Stip $1,210
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $1,611 per month in Stip vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Stip $1,611
Skopje $2,202

Stip is about 27% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Stip and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Stip 41% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 MKD 410

$9.68 MKD 532

-23.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.08 MKD 1,270

$34.35 MKD 1,889

-32.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 MKD 346

$6.52 MKD 359

-3.37%

Cappuccino

$1.81 MKD 99.3

$2.14 MKD 118

-15.42%

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

$1.43 MKD 78.6

$1.81 MKD 99.6

-20.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.8

$1.38 MKD 75.9

-22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 MKD 101

$2.68 MKD 147

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MKD 151

$3.03 MKD 167

-9.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 70.1

$1.28 MKD 70.2

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.86

$0.74 MKD 40.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 MKD 61.0

$1.85 MKD 102

-40.00%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 139

$2.50 MKD 137

0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 MKD 438

$8.11 MKD 446

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 MKD 399

$7.36 MKD 405

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 MKD 397

$15.00 MKD 825

-51.93%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.29

$1.43 MKD 78.5

-37.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.6

$1.41 MKD 77.3

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 72.7

$1.31 MKD 72.3

0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MKD 87.8

$1.86 MKD 103

-13.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.66

$0.88 MKD 48.32

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MKD 43.95

$0.78 MKD 42.75

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 MKD 30.97

$0.63 MKD 34.65

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 MKD 23.10

$0.59 MKD 32.34

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 MKD 179

$3.36 MKD 185

-3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 MKD 408

$7.48 MKD 411

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MKD 56.8

$1.06 MKD 58.4

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 MKD 81.8

$1.50 MKD 82.3

-0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MKD 36.86

$0.71 MKD 38.83

-5.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.98 MKD 1,319

$25.73 MKD 1,415

-6.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.3

$1.08 MKD 59.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MKD 31.73

$0.57 MKD 31.62

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 MKD 304

$7.50 MKD 413

-26.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MKD 84.2

$1.59 MKD 87.5

-3.77%

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

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-3.40%

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

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

-0.34%

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

$158 MKD 8,677

$158 MKD 8,710

-0.37%

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

$8.95 MKD 492

$18.80 MKD 1,034

-52.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.29 MKD 896

$19.20 MKD 1,056

-15.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.01 MKD 1,485

$37.03 MKD 2,037

-27.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 955

$17.35 MKD 954

0.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 MKD 358

$7.44 MKD 409

-12.63%

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

$357 MKD 19.6K

$369 MKD 20.3K

-3.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,645 MKD 310.5K

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

-0.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.74 MKD 1,966

$85.6 MKD 4,707

-58.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.66 MKD 1,686

$36.99 MKD 2,035

-17.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,554

$101 MKD 5,582

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,200

$112 MKD 6,176

0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 MKD 11.1K

$394 MKD 21.6K

-48.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 MKD 6,986

$314 MKD 17.2K

-59.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 MKD 18.2K

$715 MKD 39.3K

-53.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 MKD 11.0K

$483 MKD 26.6K

-58.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,210 MKD 66.5K

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

-55.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MKD 53.7K

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

-47.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$463 MKD 25.5K

$876 MKD 48.2K

-47.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

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

Last update for Stip: October 25, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stip

$183 22.6%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 7.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Stip

$177 21.9%

Skopje

$211 19% 18.8% $33

Accommodation & Living

Stip

$127 15.7%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 147% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Stip

$126 15.6%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 20.1% $25

Eating Out

Stip

$125 15.4%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 24.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Stip

$40 5%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 29.7% $12

Getting Around

Stip

$31 3.8%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 6.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $201 in Stip versus $394 in Skopje. 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 89% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Stip versus $34 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $211 – making Stip the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Stip

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

Same time as Stip

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,000

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stip Skopje 69 km

From you

Stip
Skopje

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 Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 37% more than Stip, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,214 per month in Stip and $1,667 in Skopje. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $394 in Skopje.

Kindergarten costs $357 per month in Stip and $369 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Skopje, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Skopje at $1,112. In Stip it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje 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.

If budget matters most, go with Stip. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Skopje makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.