Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sveti Nikole and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Sveti Nikole: $847 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Sveti Nikole
Learn more

Sveti Nikole Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
Learn more

Athens Living Index

Jump to prices

Sveti Nikole

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$847

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sveti Nikole and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $847 in Sveti Nikole versus $1,806 in Athens.

Sveti Nikole $847
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Sveti Nikole versus $2,731 in Athens.

Sveti Nikole $1,299
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,752 in Sveti Nikole versus $3,656 in Athens.

Sveti Nikole $1,752
Athens $3,656

Living in Sveti Nikole costs roughly 53% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sveti Nikole is 37% below, Athens is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.91 MKD 488

$16.66 €14.87

-46.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.23 MKD 1,876

$66.2 €59.1

-48.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 MKD 291

$11.06 €9.87

-51.99%

Cappuccino

$1.62 MKD 88.8

$4.14 €3.69

-60.87%

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

$1.40 MKD 76.7

$2.80 €2.50

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MKD 53.6

$0.57 €0.51

71.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 MKD 87.0

$5.64 €5.03

-71.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 MKD 99.1

$5.46 €4.87

-66.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MKD 71.1

$1.96 €1.75

-33.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 MKD 32.37

$1.41 €1.26

-58.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MKD 63.2

$2.83 €2.53

-59.36%

Eggs

$2.50 MKD 137

$5.04 €4.50

-50.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 MKD 492

$15.35 €13.70

-41.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 MKD 253

$10.34 €9.23

-55.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 MKD 659

$18.97 €16.93

-36.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 74.0

$2.17 €1.93

-37.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 MKD 67.8

$1.91 €1.70

-35.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 MKD 67.7

$1.38 €1.23

-10.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 MKD 93.3

$2.20 €1.96

-22.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 MKD 40.77

$1.10 €0.98

-32.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MKD 63.8

$1.13 €1.00

2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MKD 43.74

$1.10 €0.99

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 MKD 23.08

$0.83 €0.74

-49.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 MKD 166

$5.60 €4.99

-45.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 MKD 351

$10.19 €9.09

-37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MKD 53.5

$2.18 €1.95

-55.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MKD 77.7

$2.45 €2.19

-42.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MKD 39.23

$1.38 €1.23

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.30 MKD 1,277

$30.87 €27.55

-24.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 MKD 78.6

$4.37 €3.90

-67.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MKD 54.1

$1.04 €0.93

-4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 MKD 203

$17.11 €15.27

-78.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 80.7

$2.31 €2.07

-36.36%

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

$34.4K MKD 1.9M

$28.0K €25.0K

22.87%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

$28.0K €25.0K

-2.54%

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

$128 MKD 7,030

$210 €187

-38.84%

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

$15.35 MKD 841

$26.70 €23.83

-42.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.85 MKD 649

$30.13 €26.89

-60.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.65 MKD 1,241

$54.6 €48.72

-58.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 MKD 884

$26.03 €23.23

-37.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MKD 270

$10.78 €9.62

-54.27%

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

$303 MKD 16.6K

$575 €513

-47.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,086 MKD 169.1K

$13.1K €11.7K

-76.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MKD 3,982

$93.2 €83.1

-22.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.69 MKD 1,736

$40.68 €36.30

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 MKD 4,523

$104 €92.9

-20.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 MKD 4,684

$128 €115

-33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 MKD 13.1K

$756 €674

-68.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 MKD 9,990

$652 €582

-72.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 MKD 29.5K

$1,294 €1,154

-58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 MKD 14.3K

$1,163 €1,038

-77.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,505 MKD 82.5K

$4,008 €3,577

-62.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MKD 63.0K

$3,452 €3,081

-66.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 MKD 30.0K

$1,243 €1,110

-55.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

4.48

-5.58%

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

Last update for Sveti Nikole: October 5, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sveti Nikole

$182 21.9%

Athens

$652 36.5% 258% $470

Groceries & Markets

Sveti Nikole

$181 21.7%

Athens

$315 17.6% 74.3% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sveti Nikole

$155 18.7%

Athens

$267 14.9% 71.5% $111

Eating Out

Sveti Nikole

$128 15.3%

Athens

$269 15% 111% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Sveti Nikole

$123 14.7%

Athens

$165 9.2% 34.5% $42

Getting Around

Sveti Nikole

$33 3.9%

Athens

$46 2.6% 41.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sveti Nikole

$33 3.9%

Athens

$76 4.3% 134% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Sveti Nikole and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 127% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Sveti Nikole vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $315 per month, with Sveti Nikole cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Sveti Nikole

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

1 h ahead of Sveti Nikole

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,220

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sveti Nikole Athens 460 km

From you

Sveti Nikole
Athens

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

Sveti Nikole vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sveti Nikole wins on cost – living expenses run 113% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sveti Nikole the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 127% lower in Athens. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $239 in Sveti Nikole versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sveti Nikole – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $847 per month in Sveti Nikole versus $1,806 in Athens – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $847 in Sveti Nikole versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sveti Nikole but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Sveti Nikole the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sveti Nikole delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $847 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sveti Nikole hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sveti Nikole and Athens are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sveti Nikole gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.