Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gostivar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gostivar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $813 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,191 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,570 in Gostivar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 190% more expensive than in Gostivar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Gostivar is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.19 MKD 277

230.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$23.38 MKD 1,250

191.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.03 MKD 269

171.17%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.44 MKD 76.7

93.06%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.44

$1.15 MKD 61.5

145.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.16 MKD 61.7

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.35 MKD 72.1

228.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.84 MKD 98.4

150.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.41 MKD 75.2

-9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.67 MKD 35.64

217.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.54 MKD 82.3

29.22%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.09 MKD 112

61.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.66 MKD 356

184.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.79 MKD 310

64.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$13.47 MKD 720

39.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.08 MKD 57.6

145.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.42 MKD 76.1

65.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.26 MKD 67.2

65.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.63 MKD 87.3

67.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.98 MKD 52.4

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.78 MKD 41.92

132.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.54 MKD 28.80

179.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.56 MKD 29.94

58.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.78 MKD 148

143.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.71 MKD 252

68.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.90 MKD 48.36

52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.54 MKD 82.2

55.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.63 MKD 33.61

361.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$20.00 MKD 1,069

43.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.93 MKD 49.59

392.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.35 MKD 18.79

482.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.60 MKD 353

335.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.44 MKD 77.2

26.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.3K €34.0K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

23.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.5K €28.1K

$46.2K MKD 2.5M

-29.64%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$187 €162

$132 MKD 7,079

40.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.30

$11.05 MKD 590

101.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$15.45 MKD 826

135.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$26.09 MKD 1,394

120.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.67 MKD 250

130.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$725 €628

$218 MKD 11.7K

232.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,197 MKD 64.0K

1165.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$37.51 MKD 2,004

134.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$38.26 MKD 2,045

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$74.2 MKD 3,964

39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$114 MKD 6,093

3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$280 MKD 15.0K

443.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$193 MKD 10.3K

534.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$569 MKD 30.4K

379.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$315 MKD 16.8K

530.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,584 MKD 84.6K

371.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,238 MKD 66.1K

323.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$887 MKD 47.4K

169.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.5

-47.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $280 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 170% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $182 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gostivar differ by about 190% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $813 including rent). Gostivar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 170% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $280 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $218 in Gostivar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $813 in Gostivar versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Gostivar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.