Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $766 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
Learn more

Veles Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
Learn more

Skopje Living Index

Jump to prices

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$766

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $766 per month in Veles vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Veles $766
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Veles vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Veles $1,137
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $1,507 per month in Veles vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Veles $1,507
Skopje $2,202

Veles is about 31% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Veles and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Veles 44% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.78 MKD 483

$9.68 MKD 533

-9.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.09 MKD 995

$34.35 MKD 1,890

-47.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 MKD 299

$6.52 MKD 359

-16.72%

Cappuccino

$1.56 MKD 85.7

$2.14 MKD 118

-27.10%

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

$1.33 MKD 73.3

$1.81 MKD 99.6

-26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MKD 45.00

$1.38 MKD 76.0

-40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 MKD 81.1

$2.68 MKD 148

-45.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 171

$3.03 MKD 167

2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MKD 56.6

$1.28 MKD 70.3

-19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 MKD 29.29

$0.74 MKD 40.80

-28.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MKD 83.3

$1.85 MKD 102

-18.38%

Eggs

$2.48 MKD 136

$2.50 MKD 138

-0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.97 MKD 163

$8.11 MKD 446

-63.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 MKD 216

$7.36 MKD 405

-46.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MKD 826

$15.00 MKD 825

0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 79.1

$1.43 MKD 78.6

0.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MKD 80.4

$1.41 MKD 77.3

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 73.7

$1.31 MKD 72.3

2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 MKD 104

$1.86 MKD 103

1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.68

$0.88 MKD 48.34

2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.91

$0.78 MKD 42.76

6.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MKD 32.73

$0.63 MKD 34.67

-6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MKD 32.90

$0.59 MKD 32.36

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 MKD 178

$3.36 MKD 185

-3.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 MKD 342

$7.48 MKD 411

-16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MKD 56.2

$1.06 MKD 58.4

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MKD 79.3

$1.50 MKD 82.3

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MKD 43.93

$0.71 MKD 38.85

12.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 MKD 1,306

$25.73 MKD 1,416

-7.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 60.7

$1.08 MKD 59.2

1.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MKD 31.70

$0.57 MKD 31.63

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 MKD 422

$7.50 MKD 413

2.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MKD 76.8

$1.59 MKD 87.5

-11.95%

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

$26.5K MKD 1.5M

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-22.72%

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

$24.8K MKD 1.4M

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

-4.88%

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

$108 MKD 5,963

$158 MKD 8,713

-31.55%

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

$16.80 MKD 924

$18.80 MKD 1,034

-10.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.21 MKD 672

$19.20 MKD 1,056

-36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.03 MKD 1,377

$37.03 MKD 2,037

-32.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 MKD 980

$17.35 MKD 955

2.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 MKD 185

$7.44 MKD 409

-54.70%

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

$214 MKD 11.8K

$369 MKD 20.3K

-41.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,661 MKD 311.5K

$5,668 MKD 311.9K

-0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.40 MKD 1,177

$85.6 MKD 4,709

-74.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.01 MKD 991

$36.99 MKD 2,035

-51.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 MKD 4,047

$101 MKD 5,584

-27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MKD 5,977

$112 MKD 6,178

-3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 MKD 12.2K

$394 MKD 21.7K

-43.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 MKD 9,289

$314 MKD 17.3K

-46.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 MKD 15.9K

$715 MKD 39.3K

-59.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MKD 12.8K

$483 MKD 26.6K

-52.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,181 MKD 65.0K

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

-56.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$940 MKD 51.7K

$1,844 MKD 101.5K

-49.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 MKD 32.2K

$876 MKD 48.2K

-33.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

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

Last update for Veles: October 26, 2026

Last update for Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Veles

$170 22.2%

Skopje

$211 19% 23.8% $41

Accommodation & Living

Veles

$169 22%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 85.8% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veles

$137 17.9%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 42.9% $59

Eating Out

Veles

$127 16.6%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 21.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Veles

$100 13%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 51.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Veles

$32 4.1%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 63.4% $20

Getting Around

Veles

$31 4%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 5.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Veles 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.

Salaries run about 49% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Veles versus $34 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $211 – making Veles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Veles

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

Same time as Veles

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,716

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Veles Skopje 42 km

From you

Veles
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

Veles vs Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 45% more than Veles, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,150 per month in Veles 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 Veles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $394 in Skopje.

Kindergarten costs $214 per month in Veles 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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Veles. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Skopje makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.