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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $745 in Prilep.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,134 in Prilep.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,523 in Prilep.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 217% more expensive than in Prilep, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Prilep is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.03 MKD 215

325.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$27.76 MKD 1,483

145.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.74 MKD 307

137.63%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.46 MKD 78.1

90.41%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.68 MKD 89.7

67.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.29 MKD 68.7

51.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.56 MKD 83.6

183.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.06 MKD 110

123.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.23 MKD 65.5

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.74 MKD 39.68

187.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.59 MKD 85.1

25.16%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.11 MKD 113

59.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.18 MKD 384

164.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.78 MKD 309

64.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.90 MKD 529

89.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.86 MKD 45.89

208.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.36 MKD 72.5

72.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.97 MKD 52.0

115.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.46 MKD 78.3

86.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.89 MKD 47.47

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.96 MKD 51.5

88.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.61 MKD 32.34

147.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.44 MKD 23.51

102.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.07 MKD 164

120.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.75 MKD 254

66.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.91 MKD 48.59

50.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.22 MKD 65.5

96.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.37 MKD 19.65

686.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$18.81 MKD 1,005

52.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.96 MKD 51.2

377.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.49 MKD 26.45

316.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.43 MKD 344

346.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.44 MKD 77.2

26.39%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

14.31%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

9.65%

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

$187 €162

$128 MKD 6,845

45.70%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$17.38 MKD 929

28.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$14.24 MKD 761

155.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$17.21 MKD 919

234.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$5.53 MKD 296

275.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.28 MKD 282

103.98%

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

$725 €628

$281 MKD 15.0K

158.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,212 MKD 64.8K

1149.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$42.44 MKD 2,268

107.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$37.97 MKD 2,029

-3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$74.7 MKD 3,994

38.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$95.1 MKD 5,081

24.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$237 MKD 12.7K

542.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$173 MKD 9,244

609.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$512 MKD 27.3K

433.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$281 MKD 15.0K

605.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,044 MKD 55.8K

615.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$827 MKD 44.2K

533.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$609 MKD 32.5K

292.91%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Prilep: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $237 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 293% 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 $28.00 in Prilep for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $167 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 217% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $745 including rent). Prilep is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 293% 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 $237 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 91% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Prilep versus $2,359 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 217% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.