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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $785 in Veles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,155 in Veles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,525 in Veles.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 216% more expensive than in Veles, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Veles is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$8.74 MKD 462

110.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$18.64 MKD 985

272.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.75 MKD 304

144.35%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.58 MKD 83.6

96.84%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.31 MKD 69.1

125.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.84 MKD 44.63

132.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.55 MKD 81.9

157.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.30 MKD 175

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.10 MKD 58.1

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.51 MKD 26.71

313.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.53 MKD 80.7

19.61%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.56 MKD 135

101.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$2.96 MKD 156

493.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$4.03 MKD 213

135.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$15.26 MKD 806

30.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$1.53 MKD 80.8

107.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.44 MKD 75.9

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.43 MKD 75.5

82.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.02 MKD 107

41.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.87 MKD 45.72

149.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.87 MKD 46.00

142.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.62 MKD 32.61

161.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.58 MKD 30.53

51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.49 MKD 184

105.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$6.42 MKD 339

29.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.10 MKD 58.2

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.55 MKD 82.0

77.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.79 MKD 41.62

297.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$24.38 MKD 1,288

7.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.14 MKD 60.3

182.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.69 MKD 36.42

118.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$7.61 MKD 402

363.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.43 MKD 75.4

22.38%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$27.4K MKD 1.4M

33.78%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$25.2K MKD 1.3M

25.85%

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

$187 €161

$116 MKD 6,103

61.98%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$17.79 MKD 940

-15.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$12.37 MKD 654

203.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$26.11 MKD 1,379

112.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$18.35 MKD 969

-8.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$3.32 MKD 175

252.71%

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

$1,011 €871

$229 MKD 12.1K

340.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,616 MKD 296.7K

203.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$22.52 MKD 1,190

305.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$18.78 MKD 992

118.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$74.0 MKD 3,911

49.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$111 MKD 5,876

13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$223 MKD 11.8K

664.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$178 MKD 9,390

631.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$291 MKD 15.3K

790.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$235 MKD 12.4K

720.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$1,229 MKD 64.9K

529.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$982 MKD 51.9K

448.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$601 MKD 31.8K

294.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.25

-25.65%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Veles: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $223 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 295% 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 $19.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $174 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 216% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $785 including rent). Veles is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 295% 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 $223 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $229 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $785 in Veles versus $2,482 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 216% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.