The Basket Is 69,432 Denars, the Minimum Wage 26,046 — a Gap of Over 43,000 Denars a Month
In one year, the minimum family budget needed has grown by 4,355 denars. Most of it goes to food.
The union's minimum basket for September 2026 stands at 69,432 denars for a family of four — up 757 denars from August, the Union of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) announced. Including rent for a 60-square-metre apartment, the required monthly amount reaches 84,807 denars.
The largest share of the basket — 25,259 denars, or 36.4 percent — goes to food and drink. Compared with September last year, when the basket stood at 65,077 denars, the required monthly budget has grown by 4,355 denars in just one year.
The current minimum net wage in Macedonia is 26,046 denars — adjusted in March this year, up 1,667 denars from the previous amount. The gap between the minimum wage and the union basket for a family comes to more than 43,000 denars a month.
SSM, in its statements, presents the figures purely as a measure of minimum living costs, without taking a direct political stance. Opposition party SDSM uses the same figures to argue for raising the minimum wage; the government, for its part, has previously said real incomes are rising — without directly addressing the gap between the basket and the legally set minimum.
MKNews Hub · Economy · September 22, 2026