Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $769 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Veles, North Macedonia
Cape Town, South Africa
Veles
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$769
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Veles and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $769 per month in Veles vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Veles $769
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $1,139 per month in Veles vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Veles $1,139
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $1,508 per month in Veles vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Veles $1,508
  • Cape Town $3,306

Veles is about 50% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Veles sits 43% below the global median, while Cape Town is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.78 MKD 478
$12.01 R 198
-26.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.85 MKD 973
$42.92 R 707
-58.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.58 MKD 304
$6.15 R 101
-9.27%
Cappuccino
$1.50 MKD 81.7
$2.37 R 39.04
-36.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MKD 71.5
$1.27 R 20.96
3.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 MKD 46.38
$0.94 R 15.46
-9.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.47 MKD 80.3
$2.96 R 48.77
-50.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 MKD 164
$3.69 R 60.8
-18.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 MKD 56.3
$1.32 R 21.73
-21.97%
White Bread (500g)
$0.53 MKD 29.02
$1.21 R 19.87
-56.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.46 MKD 79.4
$2.20 R 36.26
-33.64%
Eggs
$2.40 MKD 131
$3.10 R 51.1
-22.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.05 MKD 166
$8.73 R 144
-65.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.89 MKD 212
$6.89 R 114
-43.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.06 MKD 820
$9.26 R 153
62.63%
Apples (1kg)
$1.41 MKD 76.7
$1.83 R 30.08
-22.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MKD 75.3
$1.95 R 32.12
-29.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.39 MKD 75.6
$1.66 R 27.32
-16.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.94 MKD 106
$2.14 R 35.19
-9.35%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 MKD 47.71
$1.58 R 26.01
-44.30%
Onion (1kg)
$0.84 MKD 45.62
$1.47 R 24.29
-42.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 MKD 34.71
$1.35 R 22.18
-52.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 MKD 30.14
$1.14 R 18.85
-51.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.26 MKD 178
$3.58 R 59.0
-8.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 MKD 346
$6.05 R 99.7
4.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 MKD 57.4
$1.39 R 22.95
-24.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 MKD 78.4
$2.18 R 35.90
-33.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.77 MKD 41.74
$1.40 R 23.02
-45.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.20 MKD 1,264
$60.8 R 1,001
-61.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 MKD 58.8
$0.93 R 15.26
16.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.62 MKD 33.55
$0.90 R 14.83
-31.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.51 MKD 409
$4.96 R 81.7
51.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 MKD 76.0
$1.54 R 25.37
-9.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K MKD 1.5M
$35.4K R 582.8K
-23.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K MKD 1.4M
$33.4K R 549.9K
-24.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 MKD 6,043
$117 R 1,929
-5.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.88 MKD 920
$25.71 R 424
-34.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.16 MKD 663
$39.41 R 649
-69.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.26 MKD 1,376
$51.6 R 850
-51.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.07 MKD 930
$11.35 R 187
50.40%
Cinema Ticket
$3.34 MKD 182
$8.89 R 146
-62.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$219 MKD 11.9K
$308 R 5,069
-28.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,751 MKD 313.3K
$8,141 R 134.2K
-29.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.26 MKD 1,213
$57.4 R 946
-61.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.14 MKD 988
$31.75 R 523
-42.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.7 MKD 3,907
$116 R 1,911
-38.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 MKD 5,840
$101 R 1,660
6.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$223 MKD 12.2K
$1,047 R 17.2K
-78.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$171 MKD 9,322
$669 R 11.0K
-74.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$286 MKD 15.6K
$1,861 R 30.7K
-84.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$239 MKD 13.0K
$1,407 R 23.2K
-83.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,168 MKD 63.7K
$2,410 R 39.7K
-51.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$953 MKD 51.9K
$1,570 R 25.9K
-39.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Veles
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$596 MKD 32.4K
$1,630 R 26.9K
-63.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.23
10.89
-61.16%

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

Last update for Veles: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Veles
$171
Cape Town
$669 291% $498
Groceries & Markets
Veles
$170
Cape Town
$223 31.5% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Veles
$140
Cape Town
$182 30.2% $42
Eating Out
Veles
$127
Cape Town
$174 37% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Veles
$99
Cape Town
$138 39.4% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Veles
$32
Cape Town
$69 117% $37
Getting Around
Veles
$30
Cape Town
$72 136% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Veles versus $1,047 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cape Town are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Veles versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $223 – making Veles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇰 Veles
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
03:22 3:22 AM
04:22 4:22 AM
1 h ahead of Veles
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,716
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 54.48 MKD (100 MKD = 1.84 USD). 1 EUR = 61.16 MKD (100 MKD = 1.64 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Veles Cape Town 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Veles
  • Cape Town

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
Veles vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Veles or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 99% more than Veles, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Veles and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,153 per month in Veles and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Veles or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Veles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Veles compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $769 in Veles and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Veles about 50% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Veles compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 62% less in Veles. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Veles – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Veles or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Veles. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Veles vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?