Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Strumica Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Strumica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $882 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,258 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,634 in Strumica.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 168% more expensive than Strumica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Strumica is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.83 MKD 202

359.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$27.98 MKD 1,475

144.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.13 MKD 270

174.07%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.64 MKD 86.5

69.51%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.53 MKD 80.9

83.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.14 MKD 60.2

80.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.92 MKD 101

132.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.27 MKD 119

103.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.35 MKD 71.3

-8.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.73 MKD 38.35

178.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.76 MKD 92.6

9.09%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.05 MKD 108

61.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.30 MKD 543

78.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.44 MKD 339

47.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$10.39 MKD 548

84.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.68 MKD 35.72

288.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.39 MKD 73.3

76.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.19 MKD 62.6

78.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.57 MKD 82.8

81.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.89 MKD 47.01

129.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.83 MKD 43.56

122.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.58 MKD 30.73

153.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 MKD 30.12

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.80 MKD 147

155.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$5.55 MKD 292

41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.91 MKD 47.91

51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.20 MKD 63.2

92.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.78 MKD 41.24

282.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$20.41 MKD 1,075

43.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.15 MKD 60.8

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.49 MKD 25.80

322.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.68 MKD 352

336.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.50 MKD 79.2

22.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.5K MKD 1.7M

20.00%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

-2.09%

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

$188 €162

$146 MKD 7,709

28.39%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$13.16 MKD 694

74.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$15.48 MKD 816

137.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$20.48 MKD 1,079

180.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.56 MKD 241

145.39%

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

$721 €620

$215 MKD 11.3K

234.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,202 MKD 63.4K

1151.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$75.4 MKD 3,974

14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$47.43 MKD 2,500

-21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.6 MKD 3,879

38.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$93.8 MKD 4,943

23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$321 MKD 16.9K

378.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$242 MKD 12.8K

404.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$507 MKD 26.7K

431.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$304 MKD 16.0K

561.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,502 MKD 79.2K

380.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$994 MKD 52.4K

422.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$649 MKD 34.2K

263.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Strumica: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $321 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 264% 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 $28.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $186 per month, with Strumica 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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Strumica differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $882 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 264% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $321 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $215 in Strumica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $882 in Strumica versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Strumica but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Strumica 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 Strumica 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 Strumica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.