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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $910 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,275 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,640 in Strumica.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 173% more expensive than in Strumica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Strumica is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.68 MKD 194

400.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$23.33 MKD 1,233

197.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$3.84 MKD 203

265.89%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.60 MKD 84.4

94.37%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.43 MKD 75.6

106.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.21 MKD 63.9

61.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.95 MKD 103

104.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.99

$2.05 MKD 109

125.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.29 MKD 67.9

2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.82 MKD 43.56

157.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.81 MKD 95.9

1.10%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.31 MKD 122

123.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.15

$8.61 MKD 455

103.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.20

$6.32 MKD 334

50.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.19

$10.37 MKD 548

92.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$0.69 MKD 36.57

359.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.48 MKD 78.2

49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.25 MKD 66.2

108.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.14 MKD 113

33.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.87 MKD 45.71

149.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.84 MKD 44.32

151.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.65 MKD 34.12

149.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.62 MKD 32.97

41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$2.80 MKD 148

156.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.75 MKD 304

44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.94 MKD 49.52

59.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.25 MKD 66.2

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.71

$0.78 MKD 41.44

302.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.11 MKD 58.5

190.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.65 MKD 34.15

132.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.40

$8.07 MKD 426

336.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.60 MKD 84.3

9.37%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$36.6K MKD 1.9M

0.07%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$28.6K MKD 1.5M

10.60%

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

$187 €161

$154 MKD 8,154

21.24%

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

$15.10 €13.02

$13.20 MKD 697

14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.42

$18.60 MKD 983

102.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.85

$20.43 MKD 1,079

171.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.10

$7.07 MKD 374

65.63%

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

$1,011 €872

$383 MKD 20.2K

164.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,508 MKD 291.0K

209.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$91.7 MKD 4,842

-0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.35

$39.33 MKD 2,078

4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$110 MKD 5,810

0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$95.1 MKD 5,024

32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$323 MKD 17.0K

428.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,121

$239 MKD 12.7K

442.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,232

$506 MKD 26.7K

411.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$296 MKD 15.6K

551.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,667

$1,535 MKD 81.1K

403.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,643

$1,008 MKD 53.3K

434.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,047

$653 MKD 34.5K

263.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-21.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Strumica: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $323 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $187 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 173% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $910 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 264% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $323 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $383 in Strumica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Strumica – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $910 in Strumica versus $2,482 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 173% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.