Moving to Macedonia from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to Macedonia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to Macedonia, you would find that Macedonia is 48.0% cheaper than Spain overall. A €67,000 salary in Spain would need to be roughly MKD2,150,000 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 Spain?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 51.4% less
Groceries
pay 40.7% less
Transportation
pay 18.1% less
Housing
pay 65.4% less
Childcare
pay 48.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 36.8% 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?
€67,000 → MKD2,150,000
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 30% less than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to Macedonia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain 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
Spain 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
Spain 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
Spain performs better than Macedonia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Spain 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Spain 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), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), Public Revenue Office (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Macedonia vs Spain
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madrid | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia
Can you move from Spain to Macedonia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Macedonia
Visa Free
Macedonia passport holder visiting Spain
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 Spain?
Yes — Macedonia is on average about 48% cheaper than Spain. 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 MKD537,500 in Macedonia on a €67,000 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?
Spain performs better than Macedonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Macedonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Macedonia compared to Spain?
Spain 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 42.9 in Spain. Macedonia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Macedonia compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Skopje is 65°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Skopje receives around 19.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Macedonia?
The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
