Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sveti Nikole Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sveti Nikole

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $887 in Sveti Nikole.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,323 in Sveti Nikole.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,759 in Sveti Nikole.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 167% more expensive than Sveti Nikole, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.74 MKD 302

206.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$28.63 MKD 1,509

139.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.21 MKD 275

169.87%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.73 MKD 91.4

60.69%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.67 MKD 88.3

67.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 MKD 66.5

63.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.20 MKD 116

102.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.69 MKD 142

71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.29 MKD 68.1

-3.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.71 MKD 37.59

185.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.72 MKD 90.7

11.63%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.08 MKD 110

59.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.30 MKD 438

122.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.47 MKD 341

46.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.33 MKD 703

43.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.07 MKD 56.5

146.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.45 MKD 76.2

68.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.27 MKD 66.7

66.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.58 MKD 83.1

80.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.94 MKD 49.70

117.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.99 MKD 52.3

86.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.62 MKD 32.51

137.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.53 MKD 27.75

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.06 MKD 161

133.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.48 MKD 341

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.01 MKD 53.3

36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.46 MKD 76.8

58.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.65 MKD 34.20

358.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$20.07 MKD 1,058

45.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.29 MKD 68.2

256.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.49 MKD 25.87

322.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.44 MKD 339

353.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.43 MKD 75.5

28.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.1K MKD 1.7M

21.58%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$30.0K MKD 1.6M

9.14%

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

$188 €162

$145 MKD 7,619

29.91%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$17.35 MKD 915

32.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$15.43 MKD 813

137.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$26.73 MKD 1,409

114.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.60 MKD 243

143.26%

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

$721 €620

$215 MKD 11.4K

234.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,226 MKD 64.6K

1127.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$76.1 MKD 4,009

13.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$39.12 MKD 2,061

-5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$74.4 MKD 3,922

37.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$111 MKD 5,860

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$281 MKD 14.8K

445.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$198 MKD 10.4K

515.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$563 MKD 29.7K

379.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$309 MKD 16.3K

551.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,644 MKD 86.6K

339.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,276 MKD 67.3K

306.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$568 MKD 29.9K

315.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.54

-25.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $281 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 315% 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 $29.00 in Sveti Nikole for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $194 per month, with Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sveti Nikole differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $887 including rent). Sveti Nikole is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 315% 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 $281 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Sveti Nikole versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sveti Nikole but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.