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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $771 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,127 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,484 in Stip.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 206% more expensive than in Stip, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Stip is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.51 MKD 294

211.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$16.00 MKD 855

325.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.06 MKD 270

169.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.99 MKD 106

39.70%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.81 MKD 96.6

55.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.26 MKD 67.5

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.23 MKD 119

98.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.64 MKD 141

74.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.35 MKD 71.9

-5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.69 MKD 36.73

208.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.15 MKD 61.4

73.04%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.02 MKD 108

66.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$10.27 MKD 549

84.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.25 MKD 388

31.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.64 MKD 408

145.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.97 MKD 51.9

173.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.43 MKD 76.3

64.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.30 MKD 69.2

60.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.59 MKD 84.9

71.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.96 MKD 51.3

104.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.33 MKD 71.2

36.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.57 MKD 30.61

164.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.43 MKD 23.23

106.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.93 MKD 157

131.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.44 MKD 398

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.95 MKD 50.7

44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.81 MKD 96.7

32.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.63 MKD 33.69

361.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$20.35 MKD 1,087

40.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.14 MKD 61.1

301.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.50 MKD 26.53

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$5.54 MKD 296

418.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.45 MKD 77.4

25.52%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$31.4K MKD 1.7M

25.33%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

-3.82%

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

$187 €162

$142 MKD 7,600

31.23%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$9.13 MKD 488

144.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$15.26 MKD 815

138.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$28.65 MKD 1,531

100.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.67 MKD 249

130.62%

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

$725 €628

$219 MKD 11.7K

230.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,198 MKD 64.0K

1164.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$38.29 MKD 2,046

129.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$32.50 MKD 1,737

13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$75.3 MKD 4,026

37.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$112 MKD 6,006

5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$203 MKD 10.8K

652.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$131 MKD 7,007

835.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$332 MKD 17.8K

720.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$206 MKD 11.0K

861.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,214 MKD 64.9K

515.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,004 MKD 53.6K

422.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$468 MKD 25.0K

411.30%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Stip: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $203 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 411% 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 $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 206% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $771 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 411% 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 $203 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $219 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $771 in Stip versus $2,359 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 206% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.