Moving to Macedonia from Italy

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Italy to Macedonia, you would find that Macedonia is 44.5% cheaper than Italy overall. A €65,577 salary in Italy would need to be roughly MKD2,425,210 in Macedonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Macedonian.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 MKD2,425,210

To maintain the same standard of living in Macedonia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 44.7% less

Groceries

pay 46.1% less

Transportation

pay 34.5% less

Housing

pay 53.1% less

Childcare

pay 69.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 44.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 61.62 MKD (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Italy to Macedonia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
36 ↓ 3% vs 2015

people born in Italy live in Macedonia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Macedonia?

Top countries of origin for Macedonia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IT
0.6
MK
0.9
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IT
5.0
MK
5.7

Italy performs better than Macedonia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IT
$4,993
MK
$1,808
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IT
42.5
MK
29.6

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IT
15.0
MK
62.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IT
5.1t
MK
4.0t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IT
31.5
MK
24.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IT
29.6%
MK
38.0%

Italy generally does better on infrastructure, though Macedonia leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IT
7.6%
MK
13.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IT
$52,700
MK
$23,400

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IT
82.6 yrs
MK
76.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IT
3.2
MK
7.3

Italy performs better than Macedonia across all family life metrics.

Data: Italian Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rome Skopje
Jan–Mar 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) 74°/49°F (23°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 84°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 54°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Rome Skopje
Jan 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C)
Feb 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C)
Mar 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C)
May 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C)
Jun 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C)
Jul 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C)
Aug 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C)
Sep 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C)
Oct 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C)
Nov 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C)
Dec 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C)

Data: Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department 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 Italy 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.

Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting Macedonia

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

Macedonia passport holder visiting Italy

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

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 Italy?

Generally yes: Macedonia runs about 40% cheaper than Italy 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 €65,577 comparable salary, that's around MKD606,302 in Macedonia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Macedonia?

With 24.6 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 Italy and Macedonia.

Is Macedonia safe for expats?

Italy performs better than Macedonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Macedonia is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Italy.

How is healthcare in Macedonia compared to Italy?

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Macedonia, compared to 42.5 in Italy. Macedonia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Italy: 84).

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

The average high temperature in Skopje is 65°F, compared to 69°F in Rome. Skopje receives around 19.8 in of rainfall per year, while Rome gets 31.7 in.

What language do they speak in Macedonia?

The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. In Italy, the official languages are Catalan and Italian.

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At a Glance

IT MK
Population 61,095,551 2,130,936
Currency Euro (€) Macedonian Denar (MKD)
Languages Catalan, Italian Macedonian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +39 +389
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112