Moving to Netherlands from Macedonia

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Macedonia to Netherlands? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Macedonia to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 2.8 times more expensive than Macedonia overall. A MKD4,100,000 salary in Macedonia would need to be roughly €188,000 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch.

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Is Netherlands cheaper than Macedonia?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.8 times more

Groceries

pay 97.7% more

Transportation

pay 99.8% more

Housing

pay 4.6 times more

Childcare

pay 4.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.4 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 MKD = 0.0162 EUR (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.

What salary do you need in Netherlands?

What does your salary buy?

MKD4,100,000 → €188,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands

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 Netherlands cost about 73% more than cities in Macedonia.

Macedonia

Kumanovo 38%
Tetovo 37%

Netherlands

Rotterdam 68%
Arnhem 63%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Macedonia to Netherlands.

Moved in 2023
204 ↓ 17% vs 2022

people moved from Macedonia to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Netherlands?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Netherlands compared to Macedonia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

MK
1.5
NL
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MK
5.7
NL
3.4

Netherlands performs significantly better than Macedonia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

MK
$1,808
NL
$8,195
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

MK
29.4
NL
38.8

Netherlands 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

MK
62.0
NL
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MK
4.0t
NL
6.6t

Macedonia generally does better on environment, though Netherlands leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

MK
29.9
NL
43.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MK
52.5%
NL
16.7%

Netherlands performs significantly better than Macedonia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MK
12.3%
NL
3.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

MK
$10,490
NL
$73,684

Netherlands 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

MK
76.6 yrs
NL
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MK
2.5
NL
3.4

Macedonia generally does better on family life, though Netherlands leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Public Revenue Office (2016), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Netherlands vs Macedonia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Skopje Amsterdam
Jan–Mar 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) 69°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Skopje Amsterdam
Jan 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C)
Feb 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C)
Mar 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C)
Apr 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C)
May 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C)
Jun 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C)
Jul 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C)
Aug 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C)
Sep 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C)
Oct 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C)
Dec 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Macedonia to Netherlands?

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

Macedonia passport

Macedonia passport holder visiting Netherlands

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

Netherlands passport holder visiting Macedonia

Visa Free
Netherlands passport holders can enter Macedonia 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 Netherlands than Macedonia?

On average Netherlands is around 183% pricier than Macedonia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?

Budget about €47,000 for 3 months in Netherlands (based on a MKD4,100,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Netherlands?

Connectivity is usually fine (Netherlands: 43.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Netherlands offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Netherlands safe for expats?

Netherlands performs significantly better than Macedonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Macedonia.

How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Macedonia?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 29.4 in Macedonia. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Macedonia: 74).

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

The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 65°F in Skopje. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Skopje gets 19.8 in.

What language do they speak in Netherlands?

The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Macedonia, the official language is Macedonian.

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At a Glance

MK NL
Population 1,820,909 18,087,633
Currency Macedonian Denar (MKD) Euro (€)
Languages Macedonian Dutch
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +389 +31
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112