Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tetovo and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Tetovo: $997 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Tetovo
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Tetovo Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Tetovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$997

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $997 per month in Tetovo vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Tetovo $997
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $1,500 per month in Tetovo vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Tetovo $1,500
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $2,004 per month in Tetovo vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Tetovo $2,004
Skopje $2,202

Tetovo is about 10% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tetovo and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Tetovo 27% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 MKD 406

$9.68 MKD 534

-23.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.68 MKD 1,526

$34.35 MKD 1,894

-19.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 MKD 313

$6.52 MKD 360

-12.73%

Cappuccino

$1.56 MKD 86.0

$2.14 MKD 118

-27.10%

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

$1.51 MKD 83.1

$1.81 MKD 99.8

-16.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MKD 50.5

$1.38 MKD 76.1

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 MKD 118

$2.68 MKD 148

-20.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 MKD 118

$3.03 MKD 167

-29.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 70.0

$1.28 MKD 70.4

-0.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 MKD 34.30

$0.74 MKD 40.87

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.2

$1.85 MKD 102

-29.19%

Eggs

$2.08 MKD 115

$2.50 MKD 138

-16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 MKD 408

$8.11 MKD 447

-8.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 MKD 281

$7.36 MKD 406

-30.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 MKD 569

$15.00 MKD 827

-31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 MKD 80.2

$1.43 MKD 78.7

2.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 79.6

$1.41 MKD 77.5

2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 MKD 52.2

$1.31 MKD 72.4

-27.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MKD 104

$1.86 MKD 103

1.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 MKD 46.17

$0.88 MKD 48.43

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 MKD 38.31

$0.78 MKD 42.84

-11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MKD 32.38

$0.63 MKD 34.73

-6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MKD 29.32

$0.59 MKD 32.41

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 MKD 166

$3.36 MKD 185

-10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.49 MKD 248

$7.48 MKD 412

-39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MKD 58.1

$1.06 MKD 58.5

-0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 MKD 79.7

$1.50 MKD 82.5

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MKD 19.10

$0.71 MKD 38.92

-50.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.88 MKD 600

$25.73 MKD 1,418

-57.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 60.7

$1.08 MKD 59.3

1.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MKD 29.04

$0.57 MKD 31.68

-7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 MKD 406

$7.50 MKD 413

-1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 82.0

$1.59 MKD 87.6

-6.29%

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

$34.1K MKD 1.9M

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-0.43%

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

$26.9K MKD 1.5M

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

3.10%

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

$159 MKD 8,739

$158 MKD 8,729

0.13%

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

$17.95 MKD 989

$18.80 MKD 1,036

-4.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.25 MKD 1,061

$19.20 MKD 1,058

0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 MKD 3,851

$37.03 MKD 2,041

88.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 MKD 999

$17.35 MKD 956

4.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 MKD 298

$7.44 MKD 410

-27.28%

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

$222 MKD 12.2K

$369 MKD 20.3K

-39.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,175 MKD 119.9K

$5,668 MKD 312.4K

-61.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 MKD 3,556

$85.6 MKD 4,717

-24.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 MKD 2,039

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MKD 5,722

$101 MKD 5,594

2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 MKD 6,108

$112 MKD 6,189

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 MKD 19.3K

$394 MKD 21.7K

-10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MKD 15.1K

$314 MKD 17.3K

-12.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 MKD 32.1K

$715 MKD 39.4K

-18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 MKD 26.6K

-0.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 MKD 67.9K

$2,745 MKD 151.3K

-55.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 MKD 60.9K

$1,844 MKD 101.6K

-40.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$861 MKD 47.4K

$876 MKD 48.3K

-1.71%

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 Tetovo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tetovo

$273 27.4%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 14.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tetovo

$196 19.6%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 0.3% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Tetovo

$170 17.1%

Skopje

$211 19% 24% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Tetovo

$142 14.3%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 6.4% $9.1

Eating Out

Tetovo

$119 12%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 29.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Tetovo

$81 8.1%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 35.7% $29

Getting Around

Tetovo

$16 1.6%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 103% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Tetovo 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Tetovo versus $34 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $211 – making Tetovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Tetovo

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

Same time as Tetovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,000

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tetovo Skopje 38 km

From you

Tetovo
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

Tetovo vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 11% more than Tetovo, 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 $1,496 per month in Tetovo 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 Tetovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $394 in Skopje.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Tetovo 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 24% more in Skopje, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $997 in Tetovo and $1,112 in Skopje. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Tetovo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 10% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.