Minimum wage 26,046, average 48,499 denars: how many hours of work do food, fuel and rent cost?

Skopje – With a net minimum wage of 26,046 denars, a worker in North Macedonia must work 38.8 hours — almost a full working week — just to cover the weekly share of food costs for a four-member family. That is the conclusion of a new cost-of-living analysis, according to calculations published today by Libertas.

As Libertas reports, the average net wage in July 2026 reached 48,499 denars — about 789 euros — marking an annual increase of 7.1 percent. Meanwhile, the minimum union basket for September is calculated at 69,432 denars, a figure that significantly exceeds the minimum wage and shows the gap between income and basic expenses. Libertas’ analysis puts these figures against the real cost of food, fuel and rent, calculating for each spending category how many hours of work a minimum-wage citizen needs to afford them. The result is clear: a large part of working time is spent just on survival. Despite wage growth over the past year, the analysis concludes that the European standard of living remains far away for many citizens, who continue to feel the pressure of the high cost of living in their daily lives.