Moving to Macedonia from Bulgaria
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Bulgaria to Macedonia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Bulgaria to Macedonia, you would find that Macedonia is 15.2% cheaper than Bulgaria overall. A BGN130,000 salary in Bulgaria would need to be roughly MKD3,470,000 in Macedonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Macedonian.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Macedonia cheaper than Bulgaria?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 30.4% less
Groceries
pay 22.8% less
Transportation
pay 3.1% more
Housing
pay 17.1% less
Childcare
pay 31.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.5% 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.
What salary do you need in Macedonia?
What does your salary buy?
BGN130,000 → MKD3,470,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Macedonia
Calculate with your salary →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 4% more than cities in Bulgaria.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Bulgaria to Macedonia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Macedonia?
Top countries of origin for Macedonia's foreign-born residents.
- 68,113
- 20,011
- 18,009
- 9,269
- 8,750
- 1,971
- · · ·
-
8.1,075
Bulgaria
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bulgaria to Macedonia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bulgaria generally does better on safety, though Macedonia leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Macedonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Macedonia performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all environment metrics.
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
Bulgaria generally does better on infrastructure, though Macedonia leads in internet access.
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
Bulgaria performs better than Macedonia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
Macedonia generally does better on family life, though Bulgaria leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020–2021), National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria (2016), Public Revenue Office (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Macedonia vs Bulgaria
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sofia | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sofia | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) | 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) |
| Feb | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) | 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) | 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) | 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) | 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) |
| Jul | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) | 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) |
| Sep | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) | 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) |
| Oct | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) | 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) |
| Nov | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) | 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) | 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) |
Data:
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology,
HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia
Can you move from Bulgaria to Macedonia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bulgaria 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.
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Macedonia
Visa Free
Macedonia passport holder visiting Bulgaria
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 Bulgaria?
Yes — Macedonia is on average about 15% cheaper than Bulgaria. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Macedonia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly MKD867,500 in Macedonia on a BGN130,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Macedonia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Macedonia has 29.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Macedonia safe for expats?
Bulgaria generally does better on safety, though Macedonia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Macedonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bulgaria.
How is healthcare in Macedonia compared to Bulgaria?
Macedonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Macedonia, compared to 43.3 in Bulgaria. Macedonia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bulgaria: 73).
What's the weather like in Macedonia compared to Bulgaria?
The average high temperature in Skopje is 65°F, compared to 59°F in Sofia. Skopje receives around 19.8 in of rainfall per year, while Sofia gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in Macedonia?
The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. In Bulgaria, the official language is Bulgarian.
