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: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $825 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $1,238 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $1,651 in Stip.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 196% more expensive than in Stip, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Stip is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$7.62 MKD 415

140.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$23.43 MKD 1,277

185.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$6.57 MKD 358

109.28%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$1.91 MKD 104

65.97%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$1.53 MKD 83.3

88.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.10 MKD 59.9

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$1.84 MKD 100

111.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$2.83 MKD 154

59.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.27 MKD 69.1

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$0.80 MKD 43.53

158.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.09 MKD 59.6

64.22%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$2.54 MKD 138

98.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$8.38 MKD 457

106.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$7.28 MKD 397

29.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$7.33 MKD 399

164.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$0.91 MKD 49.68

249.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.41 MKD 76.8

48.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.34 MKD 73.3

97.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.73 MKD 94.1

63.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.84 MKD 45.62

161.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.84 MKD 45.89

154.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$0.58 MKD 31.77

174.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.40 MKD 22.07

132.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$3.24 MKD 177

123.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$7.43 MKD 405

7.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.08 MKD 59.1

36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.57 MKD 85.7

76.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$0.62 MKD 33.80

374.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

$23.86 MKD 1,300

8.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$1.09 MKD 59.6

180.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$0.58 MKD 31.67

160.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$5.50 MKD 300

519.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.49 MKD 81.0

14.77%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$36.2K MKD 2.0M

0.05%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$28.1K MKD 1.5M

8.97%

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

$183 €163

$165 MKD 8,966

11.49%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$9.20 MKD 502

60.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$16.65 MKD 908

120.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$28.03 MKD 1,527

99.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

$15.93 MKD 868

3.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$6.40 MKD 349

76.56%

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

$983 €873

$370 MKD 20.2K

165.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$5,725 MKD 312.0K

191.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$37.08 MKD 2,021

147.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$32.34 MKD 1,763

24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$105 MKD 5,702

3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$115 MKD 6,263

6.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$204 MKD 11.1K

726.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$133 MKD 7,258

893.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$340 MKD 18.5K

669.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$204 MKD 11.1K

843.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

$1,230 MKD 67.0K

496.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

$1,005 MKD 54.8K

422.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

$466 MKD 25.4K

395.88%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Stip: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $204 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 396% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $181 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 ($2,441 vs $825 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 396% 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $204 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $370 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $825 in Stip versus $2,441 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.