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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $791 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,157 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,523 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 75% above, Stip is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$5.78 MKD 305

204.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$16.17 MKD 853

324.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.96 MKD 262

177.22%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.98 MKD 104

39.39%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.82 MKD 95.9

52.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.28 MKD 67.5

60.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.31 MKD 122

99.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.69 MKD 142

70.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.28 MKD 67.5

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.72 MKD 37.89

193.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.16 MKD 61.0

69.83%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.09 MKD 110

64.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$10.20 MKD 538

84.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.30 MKD 385

29.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.36 MKD 388

158.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$0.97 MKD 51.0

180.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.43 MKD 75.4

65.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.26 MKD 66.2

65.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.59 MKD 83.6

73.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.97 MKD 51.3

103.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.38 MKD 72.7

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.59 MKD 31.00

155.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.44 MKD 23.25

104.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.07 MKD 162

120.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.75 MKD 409

-2.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.99 MKD 52.5

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.87 MKD 98.8

28.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.68 MKD 35.62

345.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$20.40 MKD 1,076

39.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.10 MKD 58.0

302.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.50 MKD 26.25

310.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.53 MKD 292

430.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.44 MKD 75.7

31.25%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$32.4K MKD 1.7M

19.72%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

-3.54%

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

$189 €161

$143 MKD 7,529

32.08%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$9.46 MKD 499

134.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$15.75 MKD 831

133.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$28.10 MKD 1,482

106.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.65 MKD 245

137.63%

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

$726 €622

$223 MKD 11.8K

225.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,202 MKD 63.4K

1167.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$37.86 MKD 1,996

133.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$31.53 MKD 1,663

17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$75.4 MKD 3,973

36.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$112 MKD 5,897

6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$207 MKD 10.9K

638.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$134 MKD 7,044

811.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$337 MKD 17.7K

730.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$205 MKD 10.8K

887.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,237 MKD 65.2K

473.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,003 MKD 52.9K

383.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$484 MKD 25.5K

396.70%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Stip: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $207 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 397% 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 $320 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 ($2,341 vs $791 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 397% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $207 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $223 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 $791 in Stip versus $2,341 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.