Moving to Macedonia from Belgium
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belgium to Macedonia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Belgium to Macedonia, you would find that Macedonia is 57.9% cheaper than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly MKD1,730,000 in Macedonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Macedonian.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Belgium to Macedonia.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → MKD1,730,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Macedonia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 62.3% less
Groceries
pay 47.9% less
Transportation
pay 33.7% less
Housing
pay 70.2% less
Childcare
pay 76.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.2% less
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 31% less than cities in Belgium.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Belgium and Macedonia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Belgium performs better than Macedonia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Belgium generally does better on environment, though Macedonia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Macedonia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Belgium generally does better on employment & economy, though Macedonia leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
Belgium 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), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016), Public Revenue Office (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brussels | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium 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.
Belgium passport holder visiting Macedonia
Visa Free
Macedonia passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa FreeData: 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 Belgium?
Generally yes: Macedonia runs about 58% cheaper than Belgium 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around MKD432,500 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 Belgium and Macedonia.
Is Macedonia safe for expats?
Belgium performs better than Macedonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Macedonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium.
How is healthcare in Macedonia compared to Belgium?
Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Macedonia, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Macedonia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).
What's the weather like in Macedonia compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in Skopje is 65°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Skopje receives around 19.8 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in Macedonia?
The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
