Moving to Macedonia from Australia

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Macedonia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Australia to Macedonia, you would find that Macedonia is 62.3% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly MKD1,590,000 in Macedonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Macedonian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Macedonia.

What does your salary buy?

A$110,000 → MKD1,590,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Macedonia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 55.2% less

Groceries

pay 54.9% less

Transportation

pay 26.1% less

Housing

pay 76.1% less

Childcare

pay 81.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 65.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 38.37 MKD (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Macedonia cost about 36% less than cities in Australia.

Australia

Sydney 69%
Perth 64%
Melbourne 62%
Adelaide 60%

Macedonia

Kumanovo 38%
Tetovo 37%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Australia and Macedonia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AU
0.8
MK
1.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AU
4.5
MK
5.7

Australia performs better than Macedonia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AU
$7,691
MK
$1,808
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AU
40.9
MK
29.4

Macedonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AU
10.0
MK
62.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AU
14.1t
MK
4.0t

Australia generally does better on environment, though Macedonia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AU
36.5
MK
29.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AU
4.7%
MK
52.5%

Australia performs better than Macedonia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AU
4.1%
MK
12.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AU
$65,130
MK
$10,490

Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Macedonia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AU
83.0 yrs
MK
76.6 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AU
3.1
MK
2.5

Australia generally does better on family life, though Macedonia leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Public Revenue Office (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Skopje Rain: 19.8 in/yr (504 mm)
65° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Canberra Skopje
Jan–Mar 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) 84°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) 54°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Canberra Skopje
Jan 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C)
Feb 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C)
Mar 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C)
Apr 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C)
May 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C)
Jun 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C)
Jul 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C)
Aug 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C)
Sep 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C)
Oct 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C)
Nov 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C)
Dec 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C)

Data: Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology, HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Macedonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Macedonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Macedonia's immigration authority.

Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting Macedonia

Visa Free
Australia passport holders can enter Macedonia without a visa.
Macedonia passport

Macedonia passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Required
Macedonia passport holders need a visa to enter Australia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Macedonia than Australia?

Generally yes: Macedonia runs about 62% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Macedonia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$110,000 comparable salary, that's around MKD397,500 in Macedonia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Macedonia?

With 29.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Macedonia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Macedonia.

Is Macedonia safe for expats?

Australia performs better than Macedonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Macedonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.

How is healthcare in Macedonia compared to Australia?

Macedonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Macedonia, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Macedonia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).

What's the weather like in Macedonia compared to Australia?

The average high temperature in Skopje is 65°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Skopje receives around 19.8 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.

What language do they speak in Macedonia?

The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. In Australia, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

AU MK
Population 27,614,411 1,820,909
Currency Australian Dollar (A$) Macedonian Denar (MKD)
Languages English Macedonian
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +61 +389
Time zones 8 1
Emergency number 000 112