5 good reasons for living in Macedonia

1.  Taxation is far lower than many other European countries.  So if your used to the more painful taxation of Belgium, France, UK etc then the reasonable taxation in Macedonia is a blessing.
2.  If you live in Macedonia and have a reasonable income from elsewhere you can live extremely well in Macedonia for less than you would elsewhere in Europe.
3.  Great food.  Most things are organic and locally produced.  Things you would pay a premium for in other countries are produced naturally as standard here.  When guests arrive there are a few things people always remark upon.  Tomatoes, Eggs etc are a very obvious example but that extends to everything.
4.  For parents such as myself it is hard not to notice the difference between most Macedonian youngsters and those of Europe. I realise this is a generalisation so does not extend to everybody or every area, but in general, children get to have a childhood here to a greater degree than they do in London etc.  With the exception of the insane driving. I feel that younger children have a better experience here.  (With the proviso that your able to give the children an education in a more generally spoken world language so they are not marginalized later on in life)
5. Outside the cities,  Macedonia is extremely beautiful. So are other countries of course but personally, I appreciate the wild open spaces here and the extremes of climate which make the experience completely different between summer and winter.

I follow Arioch in
1. climate - summers last entire six months

2. food - the local produce is wonderful

3. incredibly beautiful landscapes once you leave Skopje, great for hiking, mountaineering and mountain biking. Skiing areas nearby in Mavrovo or Popova Sapka. Ohrid. Chalkidiki is also close enough to spend your summer weekends by the sea.

I would add

4. outstanding and very affordable personal services such as housekeepers, babysitters, hairdressers, taylors, personal trainers, shoemakers etc. My experience is that people will do anything to satisfy their clients. They made my life so much easier!

5. security. Crime rates are low, you can move about the country freely and safely, not worrying about a thing. People are generally friendly, welcoming and decent. If your previous post was in Brasil or South Africa or such, Macedonia is heaven.

the best food-cheap good night life, friendly people like they know you all life perfect places for relaxing (lakes ,mountains rivers )

Not sure I agree with the night life being good by any description.  This is a country where you cant buy a bottle of wine in a shop after 7PM for over half the year too.  One of the popular misconceptions I come across is that this is "Eastern Europe" so it must be a party town right?  Anyone holding that view could not be more wrong.

If your going to live here, you need to be aware that this is one of the most conservative countries in Europe.   Living here is occasionally stifling if you spent your formative years enjoying yourself in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech republic or virtually anywhere else in Europe ( I wont mention Talin, Dublin and the real party cities.  Suffice to say, if your coming here on a stag night it would be like having a party in a morgue.

However, if your married like me, its perfectly peaceful.

However, on a positive note. This week I found something to really love about Macedonia that I had not fully appreciated before. Moved in to a new house recently. It is half way up a mountain.  Walking out the gates and 5 mins away seeing views that I would cross half a world to see is priceless.  Forget the politics, the bars and all that stuff.  Although I now live in Macedonia most of the time, when I am in my house in London, the landscape is what I miss most of all. With a very much deforested UK (and much of the rest of Europe). The wild spaces of Macedonia are increasingly special and if your from the UK like me, the mountains here never quite loose their sense of wonder.

Safety: There are kids playing outside at 2230...it freaks me out but my husband is like it's the best time to play hide and seek around this time...not the states love...lol.

Scenery:  It's very scenic and I do dig going on the balcony and just looking at the mountains or seeing that cross

Cost of living:  If you can find a decent job you really can relax on stressing about how you are going to pay bills, have a vacation, or buy groceries.  The cost it takes to live here blows my mind!

Recreational Activities:  I'll have to agree with the cost of like let's say getting your nails done, going to the hair dresser or going to the spa.  It's great!  We rented a bike when we got for for the equivalent of less than a dollar for the day....i was like HUH?  I think being able to go out to dinner at a decent price is also a plus.  Not really sure about the night life...I do miss that about home.  There are Jazz, beer, and wine festivals that show up here once in a while so that's a great alternative.

Lastly Food...the Food is great and this includes being able to buy fresh from the markets.  When I first got here I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't get the fruit I wanted in the season I wanted but getting it fresh actually was great and healthy compromise...lol.


My Almost was the people:  Now, the people in general are nice,  i have great in-laws and my husbands friends were very welcoming BUT because of my race people do get annoying sometimes.  i get the staring, I have been cursed at (people didn't think i knew what they said), I've been pointed at, laughed at...you walk by people stop what they doing and snicker sometimes)  I've had people say the N-word to me out of ignorance because they don't know the history behind it and todays music doesn't help....so they couldn't make my list.  I get it, I look different but unless people don't have televisions at home let's not make it an event. They didn't make my list because of all of this.

Hi P. I'm really sorry to hear that you're getting such reactions from people, it's a wonderful place and it's a shame that some people completely spoil it for you. Unfortunately it's a similar situation to that in Poland ( where I'm from)  not very distant past, possibly caused by decades of isolation from the world, different religions, races, lifestyle to the typical Polish ones were just unknown therefore some hostility would sometimes arise. However,things have changed tremendously in the last 10-15 years and I'm sure Macedonia in on this route too. I hope you are enjoying life in Macedonia, I've only just started thinking about moving and have a lot on my mind:-)

Hi Arioch 13. I've noticed you are from the UK and your advice would probably help me. I've lived in the UK since 2004 but now considering Macedonia.... Please could you tell me, if you know of course, whether it's possible to be earning money and paying taxes in the UK while living in MK? I will have to find some form of employment in MK or do freelance work from home, but not sure how it works as Macedonia is not in the EU. Also, I think it is required to come back to the UK for some time every year if you spend most of the time abroad. Is this correct? What is your situation, if you don't mind me asking. I will be grateful for any info. Thank you!

Hello juliaege,

Kindly note that this discussion is not active since September 2013.

Thank you
Yuveshen

Thanks for your response.  It's gotten better, or maybe I just have learned to ignore it now...or I stare back or ask what's funny.  I have a baby now so i'm sure i'll be on high alert because I want to protect him but so far so good.  It's going on three years now and I'm still here so that's a good sign.  Like I said, in general the people here are great.  You'll have crazies everywhere 

  Still so far so good.

Hey all,

I'm Macedonian and my partner is British, we have lived in the UK for 15 years now planing on going back in Macedonia. I'm trying to add up positives and negatives , but would love to hear from you that have already done the move
Do you miss UK?
Do you fear that your children will miss out?

Thank you all

@ AngelaAsplanda :

Thank you for your post.
Unfortunately, this thread is very old and you may not receive any response from the members that have posted a few years ago.

If you want to communicate with our active members, i would advise you to create your own thread in the Macedonia forum.

Thank you

Priscilla
Expat.com Team