Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in Bitola versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Bitola versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,751 in Bitola versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Bitola costs roughly 60% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bitola is 33% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 MKD 306

$15.91 €13.69

-63.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.96 MKD 1,473

$64.8 €55.7

-56.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 MKD 275

$10.51 €9.04

-50.43%

Cappuccino

$1.96 MKD 103

$2.87 €2.47

-31.71%

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

$1.81 MKD 95.3

$2.24 €1.93

-19.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MKD 65.2

$1.50 €1.29

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 MKD 121

$3.49 €3.00

-34.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MKD 142

$3.88 €3.34

-30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MKD 74.3

$1.14 €0.98

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MKD 35.07

$1.75 €1.51

-61.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MKD 91.0

$1.76 €1.51

-1.70%

Eggs

$2.10 MKD 111

$3.22 €2.77

-34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 MKD 540

$13.49 €11.61

-24.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 MKD 383

$7.91 €6.81

-8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 MKD 714

$15.87 €13.65

-14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 MKD 53.8

$2.31 €1.99

-55.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MKD 73.6

$1.70 €1.46

-17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 MKD 66.7

$2.01 €1.73

-36.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MKD 86.6

$2.46 €2.12

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MKD 51.8

$1.84 €1.59

-46.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 70.4

$2.00 €1.72

-33.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 MKD 28.07

$1.93 €1.66

-72.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MKD 27.61

$0.79 €0.68

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 MKD 157

$6.61 €5.68

-55.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 MKD 321

$5.72 €4.92

6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MKD 49.84

$1.37 €1.17

-30.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 MKD 98.9

$2.97 €2.56

-36.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MKD 30.97

$2.37 €2.04

-75.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.92 MKD 892

$45.56 €39.19

-62.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 58.3

$4.29 €3.69

-74.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MKD 27.44

$0.82 €0.70

-36.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 MKD 356

$18.30 €15.74

-63.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.6

$2.06 €1.78

-28.64%

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

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

$34.3K €29.5K

-7.07%

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

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

$39.3K €33.8K

-13.95%

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

$144 MKD 7,588

$148 €127

-2.63%

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

$17.79 MKD 938

$20.52 €17.65

-13.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.47 MKD 815

$39.61 €34.08

-60.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.09 MKD 1,269

$47.85 €41.16

-49.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.47 MKD 341

$18.92 €16.28

-65.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 MKD 244

$9.18 €7.90

-49.56%

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

$217 MKD 11.4K

$614 €528

-64.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,193 MKD 62.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

-92.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MKD 3,995

$105 €90.0

-27.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 MKD 2,516

$42.06 €36.18

13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 MKD 3,939

$94.0 €80.8

-20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 MKD 5,828

$120 €103

-7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 MKD 15.2K

$1,628 €1,400

-82.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 MKD 10.2K

$1,255 €1,080

-84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 MKD 30.8K

$3,030 €2,607

-80.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 MKD 16.1K

$2,020 €1,738

-84.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 MKD 91.3K

$7,800 €6,709

-77.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 MKD 62.3K

$4,273 €3,675

-72.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 MKD 42.1K

$1,603 €1,379

-50.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

3.81

86.35%

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

Last update for Bitola: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $288 in Bitola and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 101% 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: $28.00 in Bitola vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $269 per month, with Bitola 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

Bitola vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bitola and Lisbon differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($892 vs $2,210 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 101% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $288 in Bitola versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Bitola versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola 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, Bitola and Lisbon 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 Bitola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.