Skopje at a glance
- Skopje is the most expensive of North Macedonia's 5 priced cities: $833 a month in essentials, 59% above Prilep at $525.
- The average net salary of $889 covers that 1.1×.
- 101.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at statistical region level.
- PM2.5 averages 18.6 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 North Macedonia cities we track, so every row says whether Skopje is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $833 | $640 | 1.30× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $329 | $192 | 1.71× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $432 | $294 | 1.47× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $106 | $99 | $7 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $191 | $155 | $36 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $179 | $164 | $15 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $28 | $19 | 1.47× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $889 | $782 | $107 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $533 | $375 | 1.42× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $759 | $562 | 1.35× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Skopje, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.37 | $7.50 | $1.87 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $33.75 | $28.12 | $5.63 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.56 | $5.91 | $0.65 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.16 | $1.97 | $0.19 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.81 | $2.25 | $0.56 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.19 | $2.62 | $0.57 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.86 | $1.81 | $0.05 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.20 | $1.20 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.30 | $1.30 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.77 | $0.72 | $0.05 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.89 | $1.74 | $0.15 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.49 | $2.13 | $0.36 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.73 | $8.44 | $0.29 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $7.56 | $7.18 | $0.38 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.45 | $1.06 | 1.37× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.43 | $1.41 | $0.02 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.10 | $2.02 | $0.08 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.88 | $0.88 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.88 | $0.88 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.61 | $0.54 | $0.07 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.75 | $0.56 | 1.34× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $28.12 | $18.75 | 1.50× as much |
| Taxi start | $1.12 | $1.12 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.66 | $0.66 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.57 | $1.47 | $0.10 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $159.45 | $151.12 | $8.33 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $19.69 | $19.69 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $18.75 | $18.73 | $0.02 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $37.94 | $34.37 | $3.57 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.75 | $5.62 | $1.13 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Skopje has 101.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (statistical region level). That is the lowest of the 6 North Macedonia cities we track.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Skopje ranks against every city we track
Skopje sits ahead of 74% of the 553 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 66% of 542. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 20% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Skopje sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
