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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $897 in Bitola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,351 in Bitola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,805 in Bitola.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 155% more expensive than in Bitola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Bitola is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.54 MKD 297

192.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$27.95 MKD 1,499

126.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.17 MKD 277

99.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.97 MKD 105

43.65%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.80 MKD 96.4

27.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.22 MKD 65.3

29.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.21 MKD 118

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.74 MKD 147

47.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.40 MKD 75.1

-22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.72 MKD 38.52

143.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.77 MKD 95.1

-0.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.01 MKD 108

57.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$10.35 MKD 555

27.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.12 MKD 382

11.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$13.66 MKD 733

13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.03 MKD 55.2

130.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.44 MKD 77.1

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.25 MKD 67.0

60.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.61 MKD 86.5

50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.91 MKD 48.71

93.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.34 MKD 71.7

51.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.54 MKD 29.22

255.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 MKD 30.30

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.05 MKD 164

115.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.95 MKD 319

-6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.96 MKD 51.4

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.82 MKD 97.7

63.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.55 MKD 29.27

314.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$16.81 MKD 902

172.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.11 MKD 59.8

281.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.49 MKD 26.15

65.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.49 MKD 348

184.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.43 MKD 76.5

45.45%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

8.76%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

17.72%

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

$148 €130

$145 MKD 7,769

2.22%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$17.32 MKD 929

18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$15.69 MKD 842

152.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$24.19 MKD 1,298

98.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$6.47 MKD 347

187.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.77 MKD 256

93.29%

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

$616 €539

$219 MKD 11.7K

181.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,211 MKD 65.0K

1257.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$78.3 MKD 4,200

31.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$47.21 MKD 2,532

-11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$74.1 MKD 3,975

27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$111 MKD 5,975

9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$285 MKD 15.3K

473.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$196 MKD 10.5K

528.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$606 MKD 32.5K

411.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$312 MKD 16.7K

550.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,727 MKD 92.6K

353.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,181 MKD 63.3K

271.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$776 MKD 41.7K

106.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.1

-46.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bitola: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $285 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 107% 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 $267 vs $205 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 155% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $897 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $285 in Bitola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% 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 $897 in Bitola versus $2,291 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 155% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.