Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Stip Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Stip

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $789 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,496 in Stip.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 196% more expensive than Stip, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Stip is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.75 MKD 305

197.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$15.76 MKD 836

339.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.13 MKD 272

168.62%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.90 MKD 101

45.26%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.82 MKD 96.4

53.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.27 MKD 67.4

56.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.23 MKD 119

95.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.79 MKD 148

69.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.34 MKD 71.0

-3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.71 MKD 37.79

188.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.15 MKD 61.2

73.04%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.01 MKD 107

68.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.40 MKD 552

80.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.10 MKD 377

31.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$7.64 MKD 405

150.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.98 MKD 52.0

175.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.44 MKD 76.2

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.30 MKD 69.0

63.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.58 MKD 83.8

80.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.97 MKD 51.4

103.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.39 MKD 74.0

29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.58 MKD 30.95

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.44 MKD 23.15

95.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.96 MKD 157

129.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.52 MKD 399

5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.02 MKD 54.0

36.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.81 MKD 96.2

30.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.63 MKD 33.31

363.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$20.24 MKD 1,074

41.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.11 MKD 59.0

301.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.49 MKD 25.90

318.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$5.54 MKD 294

433.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.45 MKD 76.7

25.52%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.4K MKD 1.7M

23.50%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

-0.28%

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

$189 €163

$148 MKD 7,829

28.26%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$9.59 MKD 509

137.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$15.54 MKD 825

141.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$28.24 MKD 1,498

104.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$4.76 MKD 252

127.31%

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

$728 €628

$215 MKD 11.4K

238.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,179 MKD 62.6K

1152.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$37.02 MKD 1,964

139.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$32.45 MKD 1,722

13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$74.2 MKD 3,937

37.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$114 MKD 6,041

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$208 MKD 11.0K

654.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$133 MKD 7,053

816.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$335 MKD 17.8K

733.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$204 MKD 10.8K

870.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,208 MKD 64.1K

541.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$985 MKD 52.3K

425.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$469 MKD 24.9K

399.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.1

-52.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Stip: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $208 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 399% 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 $16.00 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $186 per month, with Stip 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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Stip differ by about 196% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $789 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 399% 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 $208 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $215 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $789 in Stip versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Stip but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Stip 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 Stip 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 Stip gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.