Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Struga Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Struga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $800 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,199 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,598 in Struga.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 192% more expensive than Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Struga is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$7.72 MKD 410

121.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$30.59 MKD 1,623

126.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.64 MKD 246

196.98%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.56 MKD 82.9

76.92%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.71 MKD 90.6

63.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.23 MKD 65.3

61.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.70 MKD 143

61.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.40 MKD 180

39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.14 MKD 60.5

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.68 MKD 36.07

201.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.69 MKD 89.6

17.75%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.99 MKD 106

70.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$6.78 MKD 360

177.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.62 MKD 298

66.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$9.50 MKD 504

101.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.55 MKD 29.10

390.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.29 MKD 68.7

81.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.96 MKD 50.9

120.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.15 MKD 61.1

147.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.78 MKD 41.26

152.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.96 MKD 50.9

87.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.58 MKD 30.63

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.40 MKD 21.02

115.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.27 MKD 174

107.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$4.63 MKD 246

70.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.10 MKD 58.3

26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.01 MKD 53.8

134.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.69 MKD 36.42

323.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$19.91 MKD 1,056

44.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.93 MKD 49.09

379.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.53 MKD 28.31

286.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$7.54 MKD 400

291.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.46 MKD 77.7

24.66%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$34.3K MKD 1.8M

13.24%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$29.8K MKD 1.6M

11.22%

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

$189 €163

$92.5 MKD 4,910

104.51%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$15.25 MKD 809

49.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$19.70 MKD 1,045

90.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$26.47 MKD 1,404

118.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$22.13 MKD 1,174

-6.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.42 MKD 341

68.54%

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

$728 €628

$324 MKD 17.2K

124.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,183 MKD 62.7K

1149.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$77.0 MKD 4,085

15.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$27.65 MKD 1,467

33.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$66.3 MKD 3,519

53.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$37.22 MKD 1,975

211.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$283 MKD 15.0K

453.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$230 MKD 12.2K

430.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$393 MKD 20.9K

610.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$330 MKD 17.5K

498.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,552 MKD 82.4K

399.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,413 MKD 75.0K

266.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$970 MKD 51.4K

141.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.5

-3.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Struga: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $283 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 142% 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 $31.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $158 per month, with Struga 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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Struga differ by about 192% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $800 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 142% 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 $283 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $324 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Struga versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Struga 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 Struga 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.