North Macedonia : Cost of Living by City
How Much Does It Cost to Live in North Macedonia?
North Macedonia is generally not an expensive country, compared to others in its vicinity, and even less so compared to tourist destinations and popular cities around Europe like London, Paris, or Rome.
You can rent an apartment for around 200$ there, eat out for less than a dollar (if you’re into street food), and even utilities are cheap.
The best thing about North Macedonia is that it has Ohrid – one of the favorite destinations in Europe during summer.
It’s a city with the gorgeous Ohrid lake, that attracts many tourists each year, and the prices even there are pretty low.
Cost of Living Breakdown in North Macedonia
RESTAURANTS
As mentioned before, restaurants and eating out in North Macedonia are very affordable.
You can eat at a mid-range restaurant for 21.21$ for two people!
If you like fast food you will not pay more than $3.53 for a burger.
Pizzas in restaurants are $3 and beer is around $2.
If you want some soft drinks or a coffee add another $1.
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $4.42 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $1.77 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.90 |
MARKETS
Food is generally cheap.
When you go grocery shopping, bring around 25$ and you’ll be able to eat for probably a whole week.
Though restaurants are definitely cheap in this country, cooking at home will save you a lot of money, since all of the basic groceries cost less than a dollar.
Ask the locals about the cheapest supermarkets.
| Average Market Prices | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.13 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.66 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.96 |
TRANSPORTATION
Public transport is definitely not organized well and you can’t count on it really, but at least it’s cheap!
The buses are somewhat late but you can mostly catch one with just a bit of waiting.
A one-way ticket for public transport is less than a dollar, and a monthly pass costs less than 30$ which can be considered a reasonable price.
| Average Transport Prices | |
|---|---|
| One Way Ticket | $0.71 |
| Monthly Pass | $24.74 |
| Gasoline | $1.45 |
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities (water, gas, heating, cooling, and electricity) can be around 50$ per month if you’re renting a really small apartment.
If the apartment is larger, around 85m2, it will cost you around 100$ and if there’s central heating, add 25$-45$ more per month (but it really depends on the size of the apartment).
| Average Utilities Prices | |
|---|---|
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $119.75 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.12 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $17.42 |
SPORTS & LEISURE
Being a member of a fitness club or a gym isn’t expensive either in North Macedonia.
Membership in either one will cost you around 22$ which is incredibly cheap, considering the prices in the rest of Europe.
Cinema tickets are also not expensive – not cheap either, mind you – but not expensive, costing around 5$ each.
| Average Leisure Prices | |
|---|---|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $22.63 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $10.47 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $5.30 |
CLOTHING & SHOES
Shopping is definitely recommended for anyone who wanders off to North Macedonia.
It is very cheap and North Macedonia has many shopping malls where you can have a good time.
You can buy yourself some quality jeans like Levi’s for just a bit more than 50$, while quality running sneakers will cost you around 70$.
| Average Clothing Prices | |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $51.8 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $31.29 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $72.24 |
RENT PER MONTH
The price of rent depends on what you want and prefer.
If you live alone you can rent a fully furnished studio for about $200 or a one-bedroom apartment for $250.
Two-bedroom apartments are $250 and if you’re looking for that apartment to be in the city center, then it costs well above 300$.
| Average Rent Prices | |
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $229.53 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $164.34 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $361.36 |
HEALTHCARE
North Macedonia has public healthcare funded through mandatory payroll contributions of about 7 percent of salary, with optional private insurance costing around 20 to 50 USD per month.
Out-of-pocket expenses average 250-500 USD per person per year for medications, consultations, and hospital services.
With average monthly salaries of 500 to 600 USD, healthcare costs can take a meaningful share of income.
EDUCATION
Public schools are tuition-free, though families pay for books, uniforms, and supplies, roughly $50 to $300 per year.
Private schools charge $2,000 to $8,000 annually.
Public universities charge tuition around $800 to $2,500 per year, while private universities may cost $3,000 to $7,000 annually.
Students also pay for housing, food, transport, and textbooks.
Average monthly income is about $500, so education costs, especially private schooling and living expenses, are significant.
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in North Macedonia?
Food is definitely the number one thing people spend their money on in North Macedonia, like in most countries.
The next expense that draws the most funds from the people of North Macedonia, surprisingly isn’t rent – but transportation.
It’s something that has to be paid every month if you want to get anywhere.
Rent follows after transportation, but it’s really not as high as in most countries and doesn’t represent a problem for the citizens of North Macedonia.
The least important expense for an average person living in North Macedonia is clothing.
Average Costs Breakdown
North Macedonia: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
As expected, since the expenses and prices are low – the salaries in North Macedonia are low too.
The minimum wage in this country is 425.1$ which makes it rather difficult to make ends meet.
The average monthly net salary, in turn, is around 425.1$ which is also a small amount, but it does allow citizens to cover most expenses and buy all necessities.
Tourists that visit North Macedonia and plan on staying there for a month, should bring around 500$, and that would definitely suffice.
North Macedonia Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: North Macedonia Safety Review
| OVERALL RISK | LOW |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK | LOW |
| PICKPOCKETS RISK | LOW |
| NATURAL DISASTERS RISK | LOW |
| MUGGING RISK | LOW |
| TERRORISM RISK | LOW |
| SCAMS RISK | LOW |
| WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK | LOW |
| TAP WATER RISK | MEDIUM |
Cost of Living by City in North Macedonia
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Skopje |
34.68 |
I want to buy a house… 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms.. Living room and equipped kitchen… What’s the price??
As Macedonian myself, prices of apartments are from 60k euros to 100k euros.
what year was this written?
Cheers