For one person, living is cheaper in North Macedonia: $940 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in North Macedonia
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in North Macedonia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in the United Kingdom versus $940 in North Macedonia.
United Kingdom $2,462
North Macedonia $940
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,600 in the United Kingdom versus $1,393 in North Macedonia.
United Kingdom $3,600
North Macedonia $1,393
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,738 in the United Kingdom versus $1,847 in North Macedonia.
United Kingdom $4,738
North Macedonia $1,847
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $730–$1,112 in North Macedonia. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.
🌍
Living in the United Kingdom is roughly 162% more expensive than in North Macedonia on average.
📊
The United Kingdom (81% above) and North Macedonia (31% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48£16.12
$7.37MKD 405
191.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7£64.3
$27.76MKD 1,527
208.86%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.61£7.96
$5.37MKD 295
97.58%
Cappuccino
$4.91£3.68
$1.67MKD 91.7
194.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66£2.00
$1.62MKD 89.0
64.20%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87£1.40
$1.18MKD 65.0
58.47%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.63£4.97
$2.15MKD 118
208.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84£5.13
$2.69MKD 148
154.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.68£1.26
$1.29MKD 70.8
30.23%
White Bread(500g)
$1.72£1.29
$0.73MKD 40.03
135.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17£1.63
$1.56MKD 85.6
39.10%
Eggs
$4.00£3.00
$2.21MKD 121
81.00%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.42£7.07
$8.29MKD 456
13.63%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.19£6.89
$6.77MKD 372
35.75%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.77£11.08
$12.23MKD 673
20.77%
Apples(1kg)
$2.97£2.22
$1.16MKD 64.0
156.03%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62£1.22
$1.43MKD 78.7
13.29%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.85£2.14
$1.33MKD 73.2
114.29%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.52£2.64
$1.77MKD 97.4
98.87%
Potato(1kg)
$1.83£1.37
$0.94MKD 51.8
94.68%
Onion(1kg)
$1.61£1.21
$0.97MKD 53.3
65.98%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.25£0.94
$0.67MKD 36.88
86.57%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66£1.24
$0.51MKD 28.10
225.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65£17.75
$3.26MKD 179
625.46%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.50£7.88
$5.48MKD 301
91.61%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98£2.24
$0.99MKD 54.7
201.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51£2.63
$1.34MKD 73.9
161.94%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.98£2.99
$0.70MKD 38.48
468.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$107£80.6
$25.31MKD 1,392
324.42%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.18£3.89
$1.26MKD 69.1
311.11%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.35£1.76
$0.68MKD 37.38
245.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.84£20.14
$6.68MKD 367
301.80%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.99£1.49
$1.47MKD 80.8
35.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K£29.6K
$33.9KMKD 1.9M
16.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K£30.4K
$27.7KMKD 1.5M
46.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$327£245
$144MKD 7,922
127.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.21£13.66
$17.29MKD 951
5.32%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60£32.72
$18.06MKD 994
141.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.36£31.78
$26.80MKD 1,475
58.06%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.22£13.67
$14.58MKD 802
24.97%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85£10.39
$6.51MKD 358
112.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,868£1,402
$289MKD 15.9K
547.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$22.6K£17.0K
$4,691MKD 258.1K
382.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9£69.7
$66.4MKD 3,654
39.91%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92£34.45
$38.71MKD 2,130
18.63%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102£76.3
$88.1MKD 4,848
15.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102£76.7
$103MKD 5,675
-0.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,342£1,007
$306MKD 16.8K
338.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,073£805
$241MKD 13.3K
345.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,231£1,674
$533MKD 29.3K
318.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,742£1,307
$357MKD 19.7K
387.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,601£4,203
$1,930MKD 106.2K
190.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,265£3,200
$1,360MKD 74.8K
213.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,349£2,513
$732MKD 40.3K
357.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.32
4.69
13.43%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026
Last update for North Macedonia: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K 43.6%
North Macedonia
$241 25.6% ↓ 77.6%$832
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$389 15.8%
North Macedonia
$179 19.1% ↓ 53.9%$210
🍽Eating Out
United Kingdom
$328 13.3%
North Macedonia
$122 13% ↓ 62.6%$205
🛒Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$307 12.5%
North Macedonia
$191 20.4% ↓ 37.7%$116
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$154 6.3%
North Macedonia
$133 14.2% ↓ 13.5%$21
🚌Getting Around
United Kingdom
$140 5.7%
North Macedonia
$33 3.5% ↓ 76.6%$107
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$70 2.9%
North Macedonia
$40 4.2% ↓ 43.1%$30
🏠Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.7K 36.8%
North Macedonia
$357 19.3% ↓ 79.5%$1.4K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$407 8.6%
North Macedonia
$197 10.7% ↓ 51.7%$211
🍽Eating Out
United Kingdom
$1.1K 23.1%
North Macedonia
$383 20.7% ↓ 65%$711
🛒Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$705 14.9%
North Macedonia
$452 24.5% ↓ 35.9%$253
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$343 7.2%
North Macedonia
$296 16.1% ↓ 13.5%$46
🚌Getting Around
United Kingdom
$288 6.1%
North Macedonia
$67 3.6% ↓ 76.8%$222
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$158 3.3%
North Macedonia
$94 5.1% ↓ 40.5%$64
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $1,287 in the United Kingdom, $274 in North Macedonia. Capital cities: $2,811 in London vs $394 in Skopje.
💰National salary averages: $3,251 in the United Kingdom, $639 in North Macedonia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 370% higher in the United Kingdom.
⭐Dining out costs 207% more in the United Kingdom.
⭐Public transport is 321% more expensive in the United Kingdom.
⭐Salaries are about 5.1 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom→North Macedonia1,940 km≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
United Kingdom
North Macedonia
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
United Kingdom vs North Macedonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between North Macedonia and the United Kingdom?
At $940 per month in North Macedonia and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, North Macedonia comes out about 62% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in North Macedonia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $274 in North Macedonia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in North Macedonia or in the United Kingdom?
In North Macedonia, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to North Macedonia or to the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you’re after: North Macedonia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.
United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared