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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $954 in Ohrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,545 in Ohrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,135 in Ohrid.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 147% more expensive than in Ohrid, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ohrid is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$7.56 MKD 406

126.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$33.52 MKD 1,802

103.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$6.71 MKD 361

103.28%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.28 MKD 123

21.93%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$2.02 MKD 109

39.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.24 MKD 66.7

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.56 MKD 138

73.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$3.47 MKD 186

32.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.23 MKD 65.9

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.79 MKD 42.42

169.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.72 MKD 92.7

15.70%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.14 MKD 115

57.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$8.68 MKD 467

118.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$7.76 MKD 417

22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$13.84 MKD 744

35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.03 MKD 55.3

157.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.40 MKD 75.4

67.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.31 MKD 70.2

59.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.09 MKD 112

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.81 MKD 43.53

141.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.97 MKD 52.1

86.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.72 MKD 38.73

109.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.59 MKD 31.64

50.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$3.17 MKD 170

113.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$5.43 MKD 292

45.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.06 MKD 56.9

29.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.34 MKD 71.8

79.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.16 MKD 62.3

150.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$22.02 MKD 1,184

30.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$0.91 MKD 48.77

403.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.49 MKD 26.52

316.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$7.49 MKD 403

283.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.46 MKD 78.7

24.66%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

17.18%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$30.0K MKD 1.6M

8.38%

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

$187 €163

$163 MKD 8,778

14.32%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$17.77 MKD 956

25.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$19.38 MKD 1,042

87.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$34.72 MKD 1,867

65.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$19.06 MKD 1,025

8.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$6.55 MKD 352

64.43%

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

$725 €632

$284 MKD 15.3K

155.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$3,449 MKD 185.5K

339.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$76.6 MKD 4,118

14.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$38.98 MKD 2,096

-5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$100 MKD 5,403

2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$110 MKD 5,931

7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$233 MKD 12.5K

554.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$172 MKD 9,263

612.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$573 MKD 30.8K

375.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$468 MKD 25.2K

323.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$2,122 MKD 114.1K

251.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$1,358 MKD 73.0K

286.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$636 MKD 34.2K

276.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.54

-25.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ohrid: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $233 in Ohrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 276% 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 $34.00 in Ohrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $204 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 147% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $954 including rent). Ohrid is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 276% 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 $233 in Ohrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $284 in Ohrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $954 in Ohrid versus $2,359 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 147% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.