Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Stip

For one person, living is cheaper in Lahore: $520 a month against $809 in Stip, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lahore, Pakistan
Stip, North Macedonia
Lahore
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$520
/mo nomad
Stip
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$809
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lahore and in Stip

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lahore and in Stip actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Lahore versus $809 in Stip.

  • Lahore $520
  • Stip $809

Estimated couple costs with rent: $787 in Lahore versus $1,210 in Stip.

  • Lahore $787
  • Stip $1,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,053 in Lahore versus $1,611 in Stip.

  • Lahore $1,053
  • Stip $1,611

Living in Lahore costs roughly 36% less than in Stip, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lahore 62% lower, Stip 41% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lahore
Stip
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.59 PKR 716
$7.45 MKD 411
-65.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.71 PKR 4,071
$23.08 MKD 1,272
-36.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 PKR 1,604
$6.30 MKD 347
-7.94%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.60 PKR 995
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.29 PKR 1,462
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.50 PKR 693
$1.81 MKD 99.5
38.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 PKR 111
$1.43 MKD 78.8
-72.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 PKR 72.2
$1.07 MKD 58.9
-75.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.84 MKD 102
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.75 MKD 152
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lahore
Stip
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 PKR 271
$1.27 MKD 70.3
-22.83%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 PKR 206
$0.74 MKD 40.95
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 PKR 327
$1.11 MKD 61.2
6.31%
Eggs
$1.20 PKR 333
$2.52 MKD 139
-52.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.14 PKR 1,699
$7.96 MKD 439
-22.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.54 PKR 703
$7.26 MKD 400
-65.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.74 PKR 1,311
$7.21 MKD 398
-34.26%
Apples (1kg)
$1.19 PKR 330
$0.90 MKD 49.40
32.22%
Banana (1kg)
$0.65 PKR 180
$1.45 MKD 79.8
-55.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.83 PKR 230
$1.32 MKD 72.9
-37.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.64 PKR 176
$1.60 MKD 88.0
-60.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.29 PKR 78.9
$0.88 MKD 48.77
-67.05%
Onion (1kg)
$0.36 PKR 98.9
$0.80 MKD 44.05
-55.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.48 PKR 133
$0.56 MKD 31.04
-14.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 PKR 96.8
$0.42 MKD 23.15
-16.67%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.05 PKR 291
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 PKR 179
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 PKR 458
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.15 PKR 594
$3.25 MKD 179
-33.85%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.42 MKD 409
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.03 MKD 56.9
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.49 MKD 82.0
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lahore
Stip
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 PKR 50.6
$0.67 MKD 36.94
-73.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.42 PKR 1,777
$23.98 MKD 1,322
-73.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 PKR 256
$1.08 MKD 59.4
-13.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.70 PKR 194
$0.58 MKD 31.80
20.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.77 PKR 491
$5.54 MKD 305
-68.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 PKR 384
$1.53 MKD 84.4
-9.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9K PKR 5.0M
$33.1K MKD 1.8M
-45.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K PKR 6.7M
$26.0K MKD 1.4M
-6.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lahore
Stip
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 PKR 35.0K
$158 MKD 8,696
-19.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.47 PKR 1,513
$8.95 MKD 493
-38.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.39 PKR 4,535
$16.29 MKD 898
0.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lahore
Stip
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.48 PKR 5,666
$27.01 MKD 1,489
-24.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.32 PKR 3,132
$17.36 MKD 957
-34.79%
Cinema Ticket
$4.35 PKR 1,203
$6.50 MKD 358
-33.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lahore
Stip
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$74.0 PKR 20.5K
$357 MKD 19.7K
-79.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,052 PKR 567.7K
$5,645 MKD 311.2K
-63.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lahore
Stip
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.12 PKR 5,015
$35.74 MKD 1,970
-49.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.03 PKR 7,757
$30.66 MKD 1,690
-8.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.5 PKR 20.6K
$101 MKD 5,567
-26.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.44 PKR 9,252
$113 MKD 6,214
-70.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lahore
Stip
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$167 PKR 46.3K
$201 MKD 11.1K
-16.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$95.1 PKR 26.3K
$127 MKD 7,001
-25.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$359 PKR 99.2K
$331 MKD 18.2K
8.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$206 PKR 57.1K
$201 MKD 11.1K
2.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$827 PKR 229.0K
$1,210 MKD 66.7K
-31.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$568 PKR 157.2K
$976 MKD 53.8K
-41.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lahore
Stip
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$198 PKR 54.9K
$463 MKD 25.5K
-57.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.05
4.23
232.15%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stip: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lahore
$148
Stip
$183 23.4% $35
Groceries & Markets
Lahore
$96
Stip
$177 84.5% $81
Accommodation & Living
Lahore
$95
Stip
$127 33.6% $32
Eating Out
Lahore
$71
Stip
$125 76.4% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Lahore
$69
Stip
$126 81.8% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Lahore
$29
Stip
$40 37.2% $11
Getting Around
Lahore
$12
Stip
$31 165% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Lahore and $201 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stip pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Lahore vs $23 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $96 vs $177 per month, with Lahore cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Lahore
🇲🇰 Stip
🕒 Local time
06:01 6:01 AM
02:01 2:01 AM
4 h behind Lahore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,126,285
65,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lahore Stip 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lahore
  • Stip

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Lahore vs Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lahore and in Stip?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $520 in Lahore and $809 in Stip, so Lahore is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Lahore. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lahore and in Stip?
Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Lahore versus $201 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Stip. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Lahore – a meal for two runs $15 versus $23 in Stip. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $1,200 go in Lahore compared to Stip?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Lahore gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Where should families live: Lahore or Stip?
For families, Lahore is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stip, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Where should expats move: Lahore or Stip?
Expats usually find Lahore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Stip. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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