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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $765 in Prilep.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,157 in Prilep.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,548 in Prilep.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 224% more expensive than in Prilep, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Prilep is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.16 MKD 221

350.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$28.35 MKD 1,508

145.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.78 MKD 307

138.24%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.53 MKD 81.4

102.61%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.62 MKD 86.1

74.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.22 MKD 64.8

54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.62 MKD 85.9

145.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.11 MKD 112

114.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.23 MKD 65.3

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.71 MKD 37.79

204.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.57 MKD 83.6

12.10%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.04 MKD 108

151.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.21 MKD 384

147.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.10 MKD 324

58.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.53 MKD 613

74.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$0.92 MKD 48.80

253.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.44 MKD 76.8

54.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.97 MKD 51.5

168.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.34 MKD 71.3

105.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.84 MKD 44.82

163.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.87 MKD 46.48

143.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.60 MKD 32.08

158.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.46 MKD 24.46

106.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.94 MKD 156

149.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$5.05 MKD 269

59.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.97 MKD 51.6

58.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.18 MKD 62.9

136.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.36 MKD 19.34

763.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$18.51 MKD 984

39.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.11 MKD 59.1

194.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.58 MKD 30.96

155.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$6.68 MKD 355

413.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.48 MKD 78.9

16.89%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

5.65%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.9K MKD 1.5M

9.50%

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

$187 €163

$128 MKD 6,815

45.97%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$17.46 MKD 929

-13.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$14.54 MKD 773

159.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$20.70 MKD 1,101

170.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$8.28 MKD 441

106.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.28 MKD 281

116.10%

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

$997 €869

$281 MKD 14.9K

254.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,195 MKD 63.6K

1283.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$38.42 MKD 2,043

141.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$36.97 MKD 1,966

11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$68.3 MKD 3,630

62.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$82.5 MKD 4,388

51.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$242 MKD 12.9K

605.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$176 MKD 9,365

630.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$506 MKD 26.9K

407.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$288 MKD 15.3K

574.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,028 MKD 54.7K

643.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$847 MKD 45.0K

510.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$622 MKD 33.1K

277.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.23

-25.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Prilep: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $242 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 277% 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 $336 vs $174 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 224% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $765 including rent). Prilep is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 277% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $242 in Prilep. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 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 93% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $765 in Prilep versus $2,476 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 224% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.