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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $780 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,193 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,605 in Struga.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 203% more expensive than in Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Struga is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.69 MKD 411

123.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$30.52 MKD 1,631

123.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.68 MKD 250

191.45%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.51 MKD 80.5

84.11%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.69 MKD 90.4

66.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.29 MKD 69.1

51.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.66 MKD 142

66.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.41 MKD 182

35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.14 MKD 60.9

11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.63 MKD 33.71

238.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.75 MKD 93.3

13.71%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.09 MKD 111

61.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.94 MKD 371

173.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.62 MKD 300

69.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$9.51 MKD 508

96.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$0.57 MKD 30.60

364.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.32 MKD 70.7

78.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.92 MKD 49.14

127.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.10 MKD 58.9

148.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.77 MKD 40.94

154.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.90 MKD 47.93

101.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.54 MKD 28.86

179.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.37 MKD 19.66

140.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.14 MKD 168

115.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$3.68 MKD 197

115.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.06 MKD 56.9

29.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.01 MKD 53.9

137.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.69 MKD 36.87

321.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$20.37 MKD 1,089

40.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.99 MKD 52.7

362.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.53 MKD 28.21

284.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$7.70 MKD 412

272.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.46 MKD 78.1

24.66%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

15.51%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

9.68%

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

$187 €162

$90.9 MKD 4,858

105.29%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$14.98 MKD 800

48.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$19.69 MKD 1,052

84.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$25.84 MKD 1,381

122.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$22.22 MKD 1,187

-6.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.64 MKD 355

62.20%

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

$725 €628

$311 MKD 16.6K

132.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,179 MKD 63.0K

1185.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$77.9 MKD 4,161

12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$27.82 MKD 1,486

32.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$66.4 MKD 3,546

55.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$37.12 MKD 1,984

219.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$290 MKD 15.5K

426.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$231 MKD 12.3K

431.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$396 MKD 21.2K

588.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$321 MKD 17.2K

517.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,569 MKD 83.9K

375.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,355 MKD 72.4K

286.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$878 MKD 46.9K

172.39%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Struga: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $290 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 172% 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 $31.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $156 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 203% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $780 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 172% 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 $290 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $311 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $780 in Struga versus $2,359 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 203% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.