Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,131 a month against $1,242 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,131 in Skopje, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,242
Skopje $1,131

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,675 in Skopje, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,962
Skopje $1,675

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,220 in Skopje, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,682
Skopje $2,220

Tbilisi costs about 10% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Skopje 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$9.58 MKD 525

14.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$34.25 MKD 1,877

11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$6.45 MKD 353

48.53%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$2.14 MKD 117

67.76%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$1.81 MKD 98.9

-43.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$1.31 MKD 71.9

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$2.71 MKD 149

1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$3.11 MKD 171

1.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.29 MKD 70.4

65.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.74 MKD 40.67

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$1.84 MKD 101

-6.52%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$2.52 MKD 138

10.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$7.89 MKD 433

20.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$7.57 MKD 415

-14.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$15.00 MKD 822

-13.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$1.48 MKD 81.0

14.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$1.45 MKD 79.6

26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$1.34 MKD 73.4

41.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$1.95 MKD 107

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$0.90 MKD 49.33

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$0.85 MKD 46.40

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$0.64 MKD 34.81

121.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.55 MKD 30.01

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$3.52 MKD 193

1.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$7.06 MKD 387

5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

$1.06 MKD 58.1

61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$1.44 MKD 79.2

59.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$0.75 MKD 41.26

-46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$27.74 MKD 1,520

-45.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.11 MKD 60.8

7.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$0.62 MKD 33.87

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$7.71 MKD 422

52.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.62 MKD 88.5

-12.96%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$34.9K MKD 1.9M

-30.58%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

-21.53%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$153 MKD 8,410

-42.90%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$18.75 MKD 1,027

-28.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$19.33 MKD 1,059

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$38.53 MKD 2,111

67.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

$17.65 MKD 967

6.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$7.15 MKD 392

-8.39%

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

$377 ₾978

$358 MKD 19.6K

5.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$5,690 MKD 311.8K

86.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$84.1 MKD 4,610

21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$37.22 MKD 2,040

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$103 MKD 5,620

13.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$112 MKD 6,136

8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$416 MKD 22.8K

62.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$327 MKD 17.9K

38.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$731 MKD 40.1K

74.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$497 MKD 27.2K

77.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$2,702 MKD 148.1K

-10.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$1,807 MKD 99.0K

-22.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$877 MKD 48.1K

-19.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.23

198.35%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Skopje

$327 29.1% 27.6% $125

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Skopje

$211 18.8% 9.1% $21

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Skopje

$154 13.7% 17.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Skopje

$151 13.5% 11.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Skopje

$192 17.1% 59% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Skopje

$53 4.7% 32.1% $25

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Skopje

$35 3.1% 59.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $675 in Tbilisi versus $416 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 24% higher in Skopje, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $34.00 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $211 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.46 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Skopje 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
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

Tbilisi vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 10% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Tbilisi and $1,696 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $358 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Skopje, where all-in costs run around $1,131, than in Tbilisi at $1,242. In Skopje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,131 versus $1,242 in Tbilisi. 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 Skopje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.