Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Safi Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Safi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $785 in Veles versus $600 in Safi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Veles versus $938 in Safi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Veles versus $1,276 in Safi.

Living in Veles is roughly 31% more expensive than in Safi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Veles 43% lower, Safi 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 MKD 462

$3.25 MAD 30.57

168.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 MKD 985

$21.39 MAD 201

-12.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 MKD 304

$4.89 MAD 45.92

17.59%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MKD 83.6

$1.63 MAD 15.35

-3.07%

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

$1.31 MKD 69.1

$0.61 MAD 5.78

114.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MKD 44.63

$0.34 MAD 3.23

147.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 MKD 81.9

$1.56 MAD 14.62

-0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MKD 175

$1.58 MAD 14.88

108.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 MKD 58.1

$0.85 MAD 7.96

29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 MKD 26.71

$0.51 MAD 4.82

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MKD 80.7

$1.65 MAD 15.55

-7.27%

Eggs

$2.56 MKD 135

$1.77 MAD 16.66

44.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.96 MKD 156

$7.09 MAD 66.6

-58.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 MKD 213

$6.96 MAD 65.4

-42.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 MKD 806

$9.11 MAD 85.6

67.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 MKD 80.8

$1.24 MAD 11.68

23.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 75.9

$1.18 MAD 11.11

22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 75.5

$0.86 MAD 8.05

66.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 MKD 107

$0.74 MAD 6.96

172.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 45.72

$0.66 MAD 6.24

31.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 46.00

$0.80 MAD 7.55

8.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MKD 32.61

$0.39 MAD 3.66

58.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MKD 30.53

$0.57 MAD 5.37

1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 MKD 184

$3.92 MAD 36.84

-10.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 MKD 339

$7.81 MAD 73.4

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MKD 58.2

$2.00 MAD 18.76

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 MKD 82.0

$1.90 MAD 17.83

-18.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MKD 41.62

$0.46 MAD 4.31

71.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.38 MKD 1,288

$10.72 MAD 101

127.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 MKD 60.3

$0.74 MAD 6.97

54.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 MKD 36.42

$0.54 MAD 5.09

27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 MKD 402

$6.43 MAD 60.5

18.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MKD 75.4

$1.51 MAD 14.16

-5.30%

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

$27.4K MKD 1.4M

$34.9K MAD 327.8K

-21.43%

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

$25.2K MKD 1.3M

$31.8K MAD 299.0K

-20.92%

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

$116 MKD 6,103

$35.29 MAD 332

227.34%

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

$17.79 MKD 940

$10.51 MAD 98.8

69.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.37 MKD 654

$33.68 MAD 316

-63.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 MKD 1,379

$19.91 MAD 187

31.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 MKD 969

$5.21 MAD 48.99

252.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.32 MKD 175

$3.65 MAD 34.28

-9.04%

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

$229 MKD 12.1K

$101 MAD 950

126.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,616 MKD 296.7K

$3,743 MAD 35.2K

50.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.52 MKD 1,190

$40.96 MAD 385

-45.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.78 MKD 992

$35.11 MAD 330

-46.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 MKD 3,911

$91.8 MAD 862

-19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 MKD 5,876

$37.95 MAD 357

193.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 MKD 11.8K

$293 MAD 2,751

-23.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 MKD 9,390

$140 MAD 1,314

27.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 MKD 15.3K

$473 MAD 4,449

-38.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 MKD 12.4K

$246 MAD 2,315

-4.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,229 MKD 64.9K

$929 MAD 8,728

32.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$982 MKD 51.9K

$574 MAD 5,396

71.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 MKD 31.8K

$462 MAD 4,344

30.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

4.52

-5.97%

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

Last update for Veles: September 6, 2026

Last update for Safi: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Veles and $293 in Safi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veles pays 30% 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: $19.00 in Veles vs $21.00 in Safi. Groceries flip the comparison at $174 vs $173, with Safi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veles and Safi differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($785 vs $600 including rent). Safi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Veles, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $223 in Veles versus $293 in Safi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Veles versus $101 in Safi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Veles. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Safi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Veles and Safi 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 Safi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Veles. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.