Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gostivar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gostivar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $868 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,295 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,721 in Gostivar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 164% more expensive than in Gostivar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Gostivar is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.51 MKD 346

170.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$28.17 MKD 1,498

123.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.07 MKD 323

90.77%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.39 MKD 74.0

123.02%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.38 MKD 73.2

80.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.10 MKD 58.6

58.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.33 MKD 70.7

161.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.93 MKD 103

78.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.33 MKD 70.7

-13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.73 MKD 39.04

161.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.47 MKD 78.4

2.04%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.46 MKD 131

61.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$6.50 MKD 345

104.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.72 MKD 304

40.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$15.27 MKD 812

18.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.46 MKD 77.9

60.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.44 MKD 76.6

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.35 MKD 71.7

37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.86 MKD 98.8

37.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.89 MKD 47.32

106.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.72 MKD 38.29

191.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.60 MKD 32.02

148.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.59 MKD 31.20

38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.89 MKD 154

145.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$4.60 MKD 245

28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.97 MKD 51.4

35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.46 MKD 77.7

45.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.68 MKD 36.33

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$25.14 MKD 1,337

85.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.79 MKD 41.81

416.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.34 MKD 18.24

235.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$7.84 MKD 417

117.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.54 MKD 81.8

50.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$33.5K MKD 1.8M

2.01%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$28.6K MKD 1.5M

44.54%

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

$169 €147

$131 MKD 6,951

28.95%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$11.29 MKD 600

71.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$18.88 MKD 1,004

77.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$25.62 MKD 1,362

90.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$19.14 MKD 1,018

1.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.63 MKD 406

25.43%

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

$696 €607

$366 MKD 19.5K

90.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,823 MKD 309.6K

198.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$37.84 MKD 2,012

178.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$36.88 MKD 1,961

29.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$106 MKD 5,636

-5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$115 MKD 6,137

7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$271 MKD 14.4K

513.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$195 MKD 10.4K

540.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$471 MKD 25.1K

529.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$304 MKD 16.1K

574.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,532 MKD 81.5K

411.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,155 MKD 61.4K

286.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$882 MKD 46.9K

85.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.23

-10.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $271 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 85% 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 Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $191 per month, with Gostivar 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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 164% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 85% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $271 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $868 in Gostivar – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 85% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $868 in Gostivar versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $868 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Gostivar 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 Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.