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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $883 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,273 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,663 in Strumica.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 163% more expensive than in Strumica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Strumica is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.78 MKD 203

367.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$28.20 MKD 1,514

147.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.94 MKD 265

186.64%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.70 MKD 91.4

64.71%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.48 MKD 79.7

89.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.16 MKD 62.5

77.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.93 MKD 104

138.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.31 MKD 124

103.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.41 MKD 75.5

-12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.69 MKD 36.95

194.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.78 MKD 95.8

11.24%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.02 MKD 108

72.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.32 MKD 554

77.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.30 MKD 338

56.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.48 MKD 562

82.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$0.63 MKD 33.67

333.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.44 MKD 77.5

65.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.19 MKD 64.1

74.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.62 MKD 87.0

69.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.95 MKD 51.3

106.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.82 MKD 43.98

118.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.57 MKD 30.60

159.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.54 MKD 28.76

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.83 MKD 152

151.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.57 MKD 299

41.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.96 MKD 51.4

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.23 MKD 66.1

94.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.74 MKD 39.54

306.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$20.36 MKD 1,093

44.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.16 MKD 62.4

275.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.49 MKD 26.16

334.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.49 MKD 349

356.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.44 MKD 77.1

26.39%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.3K MKD 1.7M

17.22%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

-3.73%

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

$189 €166

$148 MKD 7,931

27.95%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.05 MKD 701

70.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$15.67 MKD 841

137.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$20.43 MKD 1,097

183.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.61 MKD 248

135.79%

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

$706 €618

$217 MKD 11.6K

225.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,220 MKD 65.5K

1118.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$75.9 MKD 4,074

17.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$48.46 MKD 2,602

-24.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$74.6 MKD 4,005

39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$95.4 MKD 5,121

25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$321 MKD 17.2K

391.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$239 MKD 12.8K

417.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$499 MKD 26.8K

443.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$299 MKD 16.0K

583.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,456 MKD 78.1K

417.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$995 MKD 53.4K

426.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$651 MKD 35.0K

262.85%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Strumica: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $321 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 263% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $883 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 263% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $321 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $217 in Strumica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $883 in Strumica versus $2,320 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 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.