Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Veles Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Veles

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $765 in Veles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,136 in Veles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,507 in Veles.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 203% more expensive than in Veles, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Veles is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.77 MKD 310

206.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.54 MKD 995

275.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.05 MKD 271

180.40%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.53 MKD 82.2

83.01%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.33 MKD 71.2

111.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.85 MKD 45.37

142.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.52 MKD 81.4

202.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.77 MKD 149

69.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.09 MKD 58.5

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.55 MKD 29.50

269.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.54 MKD 82.8

28.57%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.05 MKD 110

70.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$3.04 MKD 163

502.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.07 MKD 218

141.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.68 MKD 734

39.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.04 MKD 55.8

162.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.37 MKD 73.6

73.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.26 MKD 67.6

65.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.58 MKD 84.9

74.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.98 MKD 52.6

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.33 MKD 71.6

34.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.58 MKD 31.01

155.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.54 MKD 28.96

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.94 MKD 158

142.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.17 MKD 331

27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.00 MKD 53.7

38.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.83 MKD 98.1

30.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.68 MKD 36.68

342.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$49.96 MKD 2,682

-41.25%

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 26.42

334.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$6.43 MKD 345

360.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.45 MKD 77.7

25.52%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$27.0K MKD 1.4M

40.44%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$24.6K MKD 1.3M

31.74%

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

$189 €166

$115 MKD 6,159

64.75%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$17.17 MKD 922

29.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$12.10 MKD 650

207.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$26.15 MKD 1,404

121.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$1.92 MKD 103

976.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$3.35 MKD 180

224.48%

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

$706 €618

$223 MKD 12.0K

216.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,210 MKD 64.9K

1128.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$22.39 MKD 1,202

299.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$19.06 MKD 1,023

92.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$75.1 MKD 4,033

38.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$113 MKD 6,052

5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$226 MKD 12.1K

597.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$174 MKD 9,326

612.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$291 MKD 15.6K

832.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$242 MKD 13.0K

743.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$1,201 MKD 64.5K

526.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$957 MKD 51.4K

447.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$603 MKD 32.4K

291.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.1

-52.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Veles: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $226 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 292% 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 $19.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $163 per month, with Veles 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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Veles differ by about 203% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $765 including rent). Veles is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 292% 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 $226 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $223 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $765 in Veles versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Veles but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Veles 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 Veles 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 Veles 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.