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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $892 in Bitola.

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

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

Living in Lisbon is roughly 148% more expensive than Bitola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.80 MKD 306

174.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$27.96 MKD 1,473

131.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.21 MKD 275

101.73%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.96 MKD 103

46.43%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.81 MKD 95.3

23.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.24 MKD 65.2

20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.30 MKD 121

51.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.70 MKD 142

43.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.41 MKD 74.3

-19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.67 MKD 35.07

161.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.73 MKD 91.0

1.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.10 MKD 111

53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.25 MKD 540

31.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.26 MKD 383

8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$13.55 MKD 714

17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.02 MKD 53.8

126.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.40 MKD 73.6

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.27 MKD 66.7

58.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.64 MKD 86.6

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.98 MKD 51.8

87.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.34 MKD 70.4

49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.53 MKD 28.07

264.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.52 MKD 27.61

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.97 MKD 157

122.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.08 MKD 321

-5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.95 MKD 49.84

44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.88 MKD 98.9

57.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.59 MKD 30.97

301.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$16.92 MKD 892

169.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.11 MKD 58.3

286.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.52 MKD 27.44

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.75 MKD 356

171.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.47 MKD 77.6

40.14%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

7.61%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

16.21%

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

$148 €127

$144 MKD 7,588

2.70%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$17.79 MKD 938

15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.47 MKD 815

156.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$24.09 MKD 1,269

98.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$6.47 MKD 341

192.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.63 MKD 244

98.27%

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

$614 €528

$217 MKD 11.4K

183.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,193 MKD 62.9K

1245.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$75.8 MKD 3,995

38.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$47.75 MKD 2,516

-11.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$74.7 MKD 3,939

25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$111 MKD 5,828

8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$288 MKD 15.2K

464.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$194 MKD 10.2K

547.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$584 MKD 30.8K

419.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$305 MKD 16.1K

563.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,732 MKD 91.3K

350.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,183 MKD 62.3K

261.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$799 MKD 42.1K

100.72%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bitola: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $288 in Bitola. 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Bitola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 148% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $892 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 101% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $288 in Bitola. 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, 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 148% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.