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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $770 in Veles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,144 in Veles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,517 in Veles.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 207% more expensive than Veles, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Veles is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.80 MKD 306

203.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.89 MKD 996

262.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.12 MKD 270

174.61%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.59 MKD 83.6

74.84%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.32 MKD 69.3

112.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.84 MKD 44.50

145.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.47 MKD 77.7

203.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.65 MKD 139

73.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.05 MKD 55.2

18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.55 MKD 28.91

269.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.49 MKD 78.3

28.86%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.09 MKD 110

58.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$3.10 MKD 163

494.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.05 MKD 214

134.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.42 MKD 707

42.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.07 MKD 56.1

146.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.40 MKD 73.7

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.25 MKD 65.9

69.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.59 MKD 83.8

79.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 MKD 52.0

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.40 MKD 73.8

32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.57 MKD 30.27

157.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.53 MKD 27.78

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.03 MKD 160

135.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$6.48 MKD 342

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.02 MKD 53.6

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.86 MKD 98.1

24.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.67 MKD 35.52

344.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$50.1 MKD 2,638

-41.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.10 MKD 58.0

318.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.49 MKD 25.71

322.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.51 MKD 343

348.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.43 MKD 75.6

28.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.2K MKD 1.4M

43.28%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$24.9K MKD 1.3M

31.53%

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

$188 €162

$116 MKD 6,111

61.97%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$17.27 MKD 910

32.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$12.28 MKD 647

198.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$25.78 MKD 1,359

122.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$1.86 MKD 98.2

1012.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$3.36 MKD 177

233.04%

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

$721 €620

$218 MKD 11.5K

230.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,216 MKD 64.1K

1137.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$22.63 MKD 1,193

280.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$19.03 MKD 1,003

94.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$75.3 MKD 3,968

35.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$113 MKD 5,981

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$220 MKD 11.6K

597.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$175 MKD 9,198

599.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$293 MKD 15.4K

819.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$238 MKD 12.5K

747.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,239 MKD 65.3K

482.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$952 MKD 50.2K

444.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$606 MKD 31.9K

289.58%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Veles: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $220 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 290% 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 $19.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 207% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $770 including rent). Veles is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 290% 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 $220 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $218 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $770 in Veles versus $2,367 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 207% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.