Moving to Macedonia from Turkey
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Turkey to Macedonia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Turkey to Macedonia, you would find that Macedonia is 17.6% cheaper than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly MKD3,380,000 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 Turkey?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 9.2% less
Groceries
pay 12.1% more
Transportation
pay 10.9% less
Housing
pay 29.2% less
Childcare
pay 62.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Macedonia?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → MKD3,380,000
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 16% less than cities in Turkey.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Turkey to Macedonia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Macedonia?
Top countries of origin for Macedonia's foreign-born residents.
- 68,113
-
2.20,011
Turkey
- 18,009
- 9,269
- 8,750
- 1,971
Key Indicator Comparison
How Turkey 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
Macedonia performs significantly better than Turkey 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
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia 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
Turkey 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
Turkey generally does better on infrastructure, though Macedonia leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Turkey 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
Macedonia generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Public Revenue Office (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Macedonia vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia
Can you move from Turkey to Macedonia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.
Turkey passport holder visiting Macedonia
Visa Free
Macedonia passport holder visiting Turkey
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 Turkey?
Generally yes: Macedonia runs about 18% cheaper than Turkey 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 TRY3,700,000 comparable salary, that's around MKD845,000 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 Turkey and Macedonia.
Is Macedonia safe for expats?
Macedonia performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Macedonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.
How is healthcare in Macedonia compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Macedonia, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Macedonia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in Macedonia compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Skopje is 65°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Skopje receives around 19.8 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Macedonia?
The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
