Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Struga and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $867 a month against $1,117 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Struga
Learn more

Struga Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
Learn more

Skopje Living Index

Jump to prices

Struga

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$867

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Struga 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 Struga and in Skopje actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $867 per month in Struga vs $1,117 in Skopje, rent included.

Struga $867
Skopje $1,117

A couple spends around $1,319 per month in Struga vs $1,654 in Skopje, rent included.

Struga $1,319
Skopje $1,654

A family of three spends $1,771 per month in Struga vs $2,191 in Skopje, rent included.

Struga $1,771
Skopje $2,191

Struga is about 22% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Struga and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Struga 36% lower, Skopje 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 MKD 402

$9.29 MKD 507

-20.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.55 MKD 1,612

$34.04 MKD 1,857

-13.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 MKD 292

$6.28 MKD 343

-14.81%

Cappuccino

$1.50 MKD 81.9

$2.05 MKD 112

-26.83%

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

$1.79 MKD 97.7

$1.84 MKD 101

-2.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MKD 63.7

$1.31 MKD 71.3

-10.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MKD 149

$2.67 MKD 146

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MKD 166

$3.11 MKD 170

-2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MKD 68.9

$1.22 MKD 66.7

3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MKD 37.56

$0.74 MKD 40.54

-6.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MKD 87.8

$1.75 MKD 95.5

-8.00%

Eggs

$1.97 MKD 107

$2.40 MKD 131

-17.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 424

$8.16 MKD 445

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 MKD 348

$7.43 MKD 405

-14.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 MKD 687

$14.85 MKD 810

-15.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 80.3

$1.43 MKD 78.1

2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 71.8

$1.44 MKD 78.5

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 MKD 70.7

$1.37 MKD 74.6

-5.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MKD 87.4

$1.90 MKD 103

-15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 47.52

$0.89 MKD 48.32

-2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MKD 43.56

$0.84 MKD 46.04

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MKD 32.44

$0.63 MKD 34.61

-6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.88

$0.55 MKD 29.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 MKD 186

$3.40 MKD 185

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 MKD 246

$7.47 MKD 407

-39.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 57.9

$1.01 MKD 55.2

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 MKD 79.7

$1.43 MKD 78.3

2.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 MKD 48.58

$0.76 MKD 41.68

17.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.6 MKD 2,924

$27.14 MKD 1,480

97.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 61.0

$1.11 MKD 60.3

0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.69

$0.61 MKD 33.03

1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MKD 266

$7.55 MKD 412

-35.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 81.3

$1.56 MKD 85.0

-4.49%

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

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

3.17%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

-0.22%

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

$99.8 MKD 5,445

$154 MKD 8,393

-35.12%

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

$10.97 MKD 599

$18.77 MKD 1,024

-41.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 MKD 1,024

$18.72 MKD 1,021

0.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.98 MKD 1,090

$38.00 MKD 2,073

-47.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 MKD 637

$17.14 MKD 935

-31.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 MKD 393

$7.24 MKD 395

-0.41%

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

$116 MKD 6,348

$351 MKD 19.1K

-66.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,579 MKD 86.1K

$5,732 MKD 312.7K

-72.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 MKD 4,553

$85.6 MKD 4,671

-2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.17 MKD 1,646

$37.04 MKD 2,020

-18.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 MKD 3,825

$101 MKD 5,498

-30.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MKD 2,856

$113 MKD 6,150

-53.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 MKD 14.7K

$422 MKD 23.0K

-36.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MKD 12.3K

$328 MKD 17.9K

-31.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 MKD 23.9K

$721 MKD 39.3K

-39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MKD 19.4K

$487 MKD 26.6K

-27.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,504 MKD 82.0K

$2,700 MKD 147.3K

-44.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 MKD 72.4K

$1,811 MKD 98.8K

-26.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 MKD 47.3K

$876 MKD 47.8K

-0.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

4.23

-11.35%

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

Last update for Struga: October 11, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Struga

$225 25.9%

Skopje

$328 29.4% 45.8% $103

Groceries & Markets

Struga

$186 21.4%

Skopje

$210 18.8% 12.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Struga

$130 15%

Skopje

$191 17.1% 47.7% $62

Eating Out

Struga

$125 14.4%

Skopje

$150 13.4% 20.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Struga

$106 12.3%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 42.4% $45

Getting Around

Struga

$61 7.1%

Skopje

$34 3.1% 44.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Struga

$34 4%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 52.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Struga versus $422 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 1% higher in Skopje, 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 $30.00 in Struga versus $34.00 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $210 – making Struga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Struga

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

Same time as Struga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,000

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Struga Skopje 110 km

From you

Struga
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

Struga vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 29% more than Struga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Struga and $1,675 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $116 per month in Struga and $351 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Skopje, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Struga, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Skopje at $1,117. In Struga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skopje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Struga costs $867 versus $1,117 in Skopje. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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