Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Gostivar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $830 in Gostivar, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gostivar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index

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Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhongshan and in Gostivar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Zhongshan versus $830 in Gostivar.

Zhongshan $695
Gostivar $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,110 in Zhongshan versus $1,259 in Gostivar.

Zhongshan $1,110
Gostivar $1,259

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Zhongshan versus $1,687 in Gostivar.

Zhongshan $1,525
Gostivar $1,687

Living in Zhongshan costs roughly 16% less than in Gostivar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhongshan 49% lower, Gostivar 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.14

$6.22 MKD 339

-51.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.23 ¥162

$26.95 MKD 1,470

-10.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.76

$5.86 MKD 320

-24.06%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ¥18.91

$1.34 MKD 73.3

111.19%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$1.34 MKD 73.3

-64.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.11 MKD 60.7

-73.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$1.31 MKD 71.4

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.05

$1.76 MKD 96.3

2.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.22 MKD 66.8

25.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.99

$0.75 MKD 41.14

118.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.49 MKD 81.0

-54.36%

Eggs

$1.24 ¥8.29

$2.41 MKD 132

-48.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.87 ¥140

$6.41 MKD 350

225.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ¥18.72

$5.36 MKD 292

-47.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 ¥90.5

$14.79 MKD 807

-8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ¥14.34

$1.46 MKD 79.9

46.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.44 MKD 78.4

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.38 MKD 75.0

-50.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$1.84 MKD 101

-20.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.84 MKD 45.88

-30.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$0.70 MKD 38.18

2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.62 MKD 33.90

-30.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.55 MKD 30.14

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$2.74 MKD 150

6.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$4.66 MKD 254

153.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.62

$0.94 MKD 51.4

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$1.49 MKD 81.4

21.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.75 MKD 40.97

-61.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.11 ¥101

$23.65 MKD 1,290

-36.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$0.80 MKD 43.38

81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.31 MKD 16.84

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 ¥46.88

$7.38 MKD 403

-5.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$1.50 MKD 81.8

-13.33%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$31.6K MKD 1.7M

-37.90%

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

$18.2K ¥121.6K

$27.2K MKD 1.5M

-33.00%

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

$40.99 ¥274

$125 MKD 6,812

-67.17%

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

$10.15 ¥67.9

$11.02 MKD 601

-7.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.59 ¥84.2

$18.95 MKD 1,033

-33.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 ¥448

$21.49 MKD 1,172

211.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 ¥50.9

$17.38 MKD 948

-56.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.88

$7.21 MKD 393

-19.42%

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

$317 ¥2,117

$361 MKD 19.7K

-12.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥89.4K

$5,623 MKD 306.7K

137.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.42 ¥324

$36.92 MKD 2,014

31.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 ¥265

$36.48 MKD 1,990

8.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥401

$100 MKD 5,456

-40.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 ¥505

$110 MKD 6,017

-31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ¥1,407

$269 MKD 14.7K

-21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ¥834

$193 MKD 10.5K

-35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥2,517

$494 MKD 26.9K

-23.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ¥1,453

$304 MKD 16.6K

-28.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 ¥16.9K

$1,512 MKD 82.5K

67.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 ¥10.1K

$1,167 MKD 63.7K

29.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 ¥6,391

$852 MKD 46.5K

12.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

4.23

-20.80%

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

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhongshan

$226 32.5%

Gostivar

$186 22.5% 17.4% $39

Accommodation & Living

Zhongshan

$125 17.9%

Gostivar

$193 23.3% 54.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongshan

$101 14.5%

Gostivar

$128 15.4% 26.9% $27

Eating Out

Zhongshan

$82 11.8%

Gostivar

$103 12.5% 26.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongshan

$79 11.3%

Gostivar

$36 4.3% 54.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongshan

$64 9.2%

Gostivar

$155 18.7% 143% $91

Getting Around

Zhongshan

$20 2.8%

Gostivar

$29 3.5% 46.7% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Zhongshan and $269 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Zhongshan vs $27.00 in Gostivar. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $186, with Gostivar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

00:00 12:00 AM

6 h behind Zhongshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,209,600

36,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zhongshan Gostivar 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhongshan
Gostivar

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

Zhongshan vs Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Gostivar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhongshan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Zhongshan, 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: $210 in Zhongshan versus $269 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $695 per month in Zhongshan versus $830 in Gostivar – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zhongshan runs roughly 57% less than in Gostivar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Zhongshan 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.

Expats usually find Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Gostivar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.