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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $759 in Prilep.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,145 in Prilep.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,531 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 74% above, Prilep is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.15 MKD 220

311.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$27.80 MKD 1,475

149.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.79 MKD 307

138.00%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.53 MKD 81.4

80.39%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.66 MKD 88.1

68.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.23 MKD 65.1

61.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.57 MKD 83.2

177.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.04 MKD 108

132.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.23 MKD 65.3

4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.71 MKD 37.88

188.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.60 MKD 84.7

24.37%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.13 MKD 113

59.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.96 MKD 369

170.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.80 MKD 308

61.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.91 MKD 526

92.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.93 MKD 49.26

190.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.43 MKD 75.8

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.01 MKD 53.4

109.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.54 MKD 81.6

85.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.81 MKD 42.90

143.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.94 MKD 49.68

91.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.62 MKD 32.66

133.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.44 MKD 23.44

95.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.03 MKD 161

123.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$4.71 MKD 250

67.73%

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

$1.18 MKD 62.8

100.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.40 MKD 21.15

630.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$18.45 MKD 979

55.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.96 MKD 50.8

364.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.50 MKD 26.44

310.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.50 MKD 345

354.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.51 MKD 80.2

20.53%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

16.96%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

10.03%

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

$189 €163

$129 MKD 6,823

47.16%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$17.62 MKD 935

29.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$14.31 MKD 760

162.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$16.83 MKD 893

243.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$5.79 MKD 307

258.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.30 MKD 281

104.15%

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

$728 €628

$284 MKD 15.1K

156.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,179 MKD 62.6K

1152.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$41.69 MKD 2,212

112.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$37.38 MKD 1,983

-1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$74.4 MKD 3,946

37.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$93.8 MKD 4,979

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$237 MKD 12.6K

561.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$174 MKD 9,229

600.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$511 MKD 27.1K

446.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$285 MKD 15.1K

592.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,059 MKD 56.2K

632.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$833 MKD 44.2K

521.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$607 MKD 32.2K

285.74%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Prilep: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $237 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 286% 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 $319 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 ($2,337 vs $759 including rent). Prilep is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 286% 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 $237 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $284 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 $2,337 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.