Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ohrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ohrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,012 in Ohrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,617 in Ohrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,221 in Ohrid.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 145% more expensive than in Ohrid, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Ohrid is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$7.42 MKD 392

148.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$37.41 MKD 1,976

85.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$7.73 MKD 408

81.76%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.75 MKD 145

13.09%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.09 MKD 163

-4.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.94 MKD 102

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.69 MKD 195

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.84 MKD 255

-4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.33 MKD 70.3

-0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.78 MKD 40.96

170.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.74 MKD 91.9

5.17%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.27 MKD 120

127.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$8.36 MKD 442

110.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$8.90 MKD 470

6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$15.17 MKD 802

31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.04 MKD 55.1

204.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.37 MKD 72.5

61.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.62 MKD 85.6

61.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.07 MKD 109

37.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.11 MKD 58.6

95.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.48 MKD 78.2

42.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.08 MKD 57.0

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.76 MKD 39.94

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.45 MKD 182

107.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.59 MKD 295

49.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.14 MKD 60.1

31.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.54 MKD 81.4

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.16 MKD 61.3

170.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$24.91 MKD 1,316

5.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.10 MKD 58.0

192.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.94 MKD 49.65

60.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$9.22 MKD 487

282.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.53 MKD 81.0

14.38%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$31.2K MKD 1.7M

17.37%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$31.8K MKD 1.7M

-0.53%

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

$187 €161

$133 MKD 7,046

40.30%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$18.96 MKD 1,002

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$28.38 MKD 1,500

32.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$34.42 MKD 1,818

61.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$19.14 MKD 1,011

-12.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$6.43 MKD 339

82.12%

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

$1,011 €871

$283 MKD 15.0K

256.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$3,466 MKD 183.1K

392.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$101 MKD 5,321

-9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$55.7 MKD 2,941

-26.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$103 MKD 5,452

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$138 MKD 7,287

-8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$291 MKD 15.4K

485.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$175 MKD 9,230

643.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$563 MKD 29.7K

359.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$373 MKD 19.7K

416.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,186 MKD 115.5K

253.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,351 MKD 71.4K

298.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$650 MKD 34.4K

265.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.3

-56.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ohrid: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $291 in Ohrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 265% 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 $37.00 in Ohrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $222 per month, with Ohrid 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 Ohrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ohrid differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,012 including rent). Ohrid is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 265% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $291 in Ohrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $283 in Ohrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Ohrid versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ohrid but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ohrid 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 Ohrid 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 Ohrid gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.