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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $898 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,355 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,812 in Struga.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 176% more expensive than in Struga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Struga is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$7.42 MKD 395

152.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$30.35 MKD 1,614

128.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.47 MKD 291

151.74%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.57 MKD 83.7

97.45%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.89 MKD 100

49.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.25 MKD 66.7

50.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.76 MKD 147

44.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.35 MKD 178

35.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.29 MKD 68.8

-1.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.75 MKD 39.67

188.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.59 MKD 84.4

10.69%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.09 MKD 111

145.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.86 MKD 418

127.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.72 MKD 357

43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.02 MKD 693

54.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.40 MKD 74.6

132.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.40 MKD 74.2

59.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.30 MKD 69.1

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.65 MKD 87.6

67.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.83 MKD 44.39

166.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.86 MKD 45.79

146.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.65 MKD 34.53

138.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.58 MKD 30.77

63.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.54 MKD 188

107.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$4.57 MKD 243

76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.09 MKD 58.0

41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.54 MKD 81.8

81.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.92 MKD 48.84

238.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$56.5 MKD 3,006

-54.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.12 MKD 59.4

191.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.60 MKD 31.67

146.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$5.07 MKD 270

575.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.51 MKD 80.3

14.57%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$36.3K MKD 1.9M

0.27%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.8K MKD 1.5M

9.88%

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

$187 €163

$101 MKD 5,364

85.47%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$11.22 MKD 597

34.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$18.94 MKD 1,007

99.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$20.17 MKD 1,073

177.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$12.07 MKD 642

41.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.56 MKD 402

50.93%

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

$997 €869

$124 MKD 6,571

706.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,650 MKD 87.7K

902.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$86.9 MKD 4,622

6.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$31.90 MKD 1,696

29.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$74.4 MKD 3,956

49.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$55.1 MKD 2,929

127.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$280 MKD 14.9K

509.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$227 MKD 12.1K

465.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$451 MKD 24.0K

469.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$370 MKD 19.7K

425.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,552 MKD 82.5K

392.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,404 MKD 74.7K

267.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$879 MKD 46.7K

167.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.75

-15.73%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Struga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $280 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 167% 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 $30.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $192 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 176% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $898 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 167% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $280 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $124 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $898 in Struga versus $2,476 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 176% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.