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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $798 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,195 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,592 in Gostivar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 193% more expensive than Gostivar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Gostivar is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.13 MKD 272

232.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$23.07 MKD 1,224

200.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.98 MKD 264

176.71%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.39 MKD 73.5

98.56%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.16 MKD 61.7

140.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.15 MKD 61.0

73.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.39 MKD 73.7

213.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.91 MKD 101

148.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.34 MKD 71.1

-3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.71 MKD 37.73

188.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.54 MKD 81.7

29.22%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.12 MKD 113

59.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.39 MKD 339

194.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.52 MKD 293

69.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$13.64 MKD 724

40.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.06 MKD 56.4

154.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.44 MKD 76.6

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.32 MKD 69.9

60.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.58 MKD 83.8

80.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.94 MKD 49.73

109.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.72 MKD 38.34

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.54 MKD 28.92

168.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.56 MKD 29.78

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.80 MKD 148

142.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$4.60 MKD 244

71.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.96 MKD 51.0

44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.53 MKD 81.1

54.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.68 MKD 36.30

329.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$19.86 MKD 1,054

44.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.97 MKD 51.7

359.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.36 MKD 18.94

469.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.47 MKD 343

356.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.47 MKD 78.2

23.81%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.5K MKD 1.7M

23.17%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$46.2K MKD 2.5M

-28.43%

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

$189 €163

$131 MKD 6,939

44.69%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$11.32 MKD 601

101.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$15.23 MKD 808

146.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$26.46 MKD 1,404

118.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.79 MKD 254

125.89%

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

$728 €628

$219 MKD 11.6K

233.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,209 MKD 64.2K

1121.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$37.49 MKD 1,989

136.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$38.20 MKD 2,027

-3.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$73.7 MKD 3,908

38.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$113 MKD 5,985

2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$283 MKD 15.0K

455.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$193 MKD 10.2K

532.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$555 MKD 29.5K

403.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$305 MKD 16.2K

548.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,656 MKD 87.9K

368.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,252 MKD 66.4K

313.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$885 MKD 47.0K

164.80%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $283 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 165% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $180 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 193% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $798 including rent). Gostivar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 165% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $283 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $219 in Gostivar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $798 in Gostivar versus $2,337 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 193% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.