Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Prilep Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Prilep

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $759 in Prilep.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,138 in Prilep.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,518 in Prilep.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 208% more expensive than Prilep, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Prilep is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.03 MKD 213

336.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$27.62 MKD 1,456

148.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.72 MKD 302

140.38%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.53 MKD 80.7

80.39%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.60 MKD 84.2

73.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.22 MKD 64.2

68.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.63 MKD 85.9

182.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.03 MKD 107

126.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.21 MKD 63.8

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.74 MKD 39.13

185.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.64 MKD 86.6

20.12%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.10 MKD 111

63.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.21 MKD 380

161.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.87 MKD 310

60.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.13 MKD 534

87.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.85 MKD 44.99

220.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.37 MKD 72.1

72.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$0.94 MKD 49.71

121.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.48 MKD 77.8

86.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.88 MKD 46.14

123.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.00 MKD 52.6

79.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.65 MKD 34.40

132.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.41 MKD 21.88

119.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.97 MKD 157

127.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$4.66 MKD 246

62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.91 MKD 48.06

58.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.18 MKD 62.5

104.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.40 MKD 20.97

657.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$18.92 MKD 998

50.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.97 MKD 51.0

356.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.49 MKD 25.95

318.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.52 MKD 344

349.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.45 MKD 76.7

30.34%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

16.51%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$29.7K MKD 1.6M

9.14%

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

$189 €161

$129 MKD 6,801

46.23%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$17.73 MKD 935

25.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$14.15 MKD 746

160.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$16.98 MKD 896

241.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$5.61 MKD 296

274.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.32 MKD 281

107.71%

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

$726 €622

$281 MKD 14.8K

158.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,202 MKD 63.4K

1167.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$42.03 MKD 2,216

110.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$36.95 MKD 1,949

0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$75.6 MKD 3,986

35.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$95.4 MKD 5,031

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$234 MKD 12.3K

553.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$171 MKD 9,020

612.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$522 MKD 27.5K

435.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$289 MKD 15.2K

601.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,041 MKD 54.9K

581.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$865 MKD 45.6K

460.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$620 MKD 32.7K

287.91%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Prilep: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $234 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 288% 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 $28.00 in Prilep for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $168 per month, with Prilep 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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Prilep differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $759 including rent). Prilep is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 288% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $234 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $281 in Prilep. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $759 in Prilep versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Prilep but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Prilep 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 Prilep 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 Prilep gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.