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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $899 in Bitola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,347 in Bitola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,794 in Bitola.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 158% more expensive than in Bitola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Bitola is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$5.58 MKD 294

210.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$28.09 MKD 1,481

125.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$5.32 MKD 281

114.10%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.92 MKD 101

66.15%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.80 MKD 94.9

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.45 MKD 76.5

21.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.32 MKD 122

54.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.62 MKD 138

29.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.40 MKD 73.6

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.68 MKD 35.69

191.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.72 MKD 90.7

-11.63%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.99 MKD 105

103.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$10.25 MKD 540

32.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$7.25 MKD 382

15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$13.88 MKD 732

31.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.05 MKD 55.1

118.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.40 MKD 74.1

24.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.25 MKD 65.9

48.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.64 MKD 86.4

60.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.98 MKD 51.7

95.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.36 MKD 71.5

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.59 MKD 31.04

144.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.55 MKD 28.89

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.10 MKD 163

118.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.97 MKD 315

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.96 MKD 50.6

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.83 MKD 96.5

21.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.58 MKD 30.60

313.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$16.87 MKD 889

177.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.15 MKD 60.7

262.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.63 MKD 33.07

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$6.54 MKD 345

170.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.49 MKD 78.5

55.70%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$32.4K MKD 1.7M

8.91%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$33.5K MKD 1.8M

23.89%

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

$170 €146

$152 MKD 8,018

12.01%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$14.72 MKD 776

31.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$13.25 MKD 699

153.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$22.63 MKD 1,193

112.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$6.77 MKD 357

193.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$4.84 MKD 255

104.96%

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

$717 €617

$218 MKD 11.5K

228.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$1,220 MKD 64.3K

1332.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$78.2 MKD 4,125

33.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$48.84 MKD 2,575

-3.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$76.5 MKD 4,031

35.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$115 MKD 6,074

7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$271 MKD 14.3K

518.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$196 MKD 10.3K

548.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$417 MKD 22.0K

615.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$302 MKD 15.9K

559.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,784 MKD 94.1K

338.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,181 MKD 62.3K

294.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$801 MKD 42.2K

97.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.45

-41.24%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bitola: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $271 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 98% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Bitola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $206 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

Lisbon vs Bitola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bitola differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $899 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $271 in Bitola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Bitola versus $2,316 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, Lisbon and Bitola 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 158% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.