Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kocani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocani: $874 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Kocani, North Macedonia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Kocani
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$874
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Kocani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $874 in Kocani.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Kocani $874

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,333 in Kocani.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Kocani $1,333

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,793 in Kocani.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Kocani $1,793

Living in Lisbon is roughly 153% more expensive than in Kocani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Kocani is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$9.85 MKD 543
69.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$34.31 MKD 1,891
79.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$6.59 MKD 363
72.38%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$1.11 MKD 61.0
167.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.49 MKD 81.9
53.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.11 MKD 61.4
56.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$2.68 MKD 148
26.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.11 MKD 172
6.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.18 MKD 65.2
-1.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.58 MKD 31.88
229.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.62 MKD 89.4
-6.79%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.76 MKD 96.9
128.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$6.53 MKD 360
98.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.36 MKD 240
78.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$8.02 MKD 442
121.45%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$1.26 MKD 69.2
82.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.41 MKD 77.6
22.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.25 MKD 68.9
48.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.87 MKD 103
38.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$0.76 MKD 41.66
139.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.83 MKD 45.98
137.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.57 MKD 31.56
157.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.46 MKD 25.59
56.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$3.52 MKD 194
86.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$3.74 MKD 206
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$0.80 MKD 44.26
70.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.07 MKD 58.9
100.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.39 MKD 76.9
67.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$23.31 MKD 1,285
91.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$1.12 MKD 61.8
243.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.62 MKD 34.07
72.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$3.09 MKD 170
432.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.41 MKD 77.8
56.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$33.8K MKD 1.9M
1.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$26.1K MKD 1.4M
48.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$156 MKD 8,595
3.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$17.57 MKD 968
4.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$14.57 MKD 803
124.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$16.05 MKD 885
177.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$17.51 MKD 965
9.08%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$7.27 MKD 401
32.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$371 MKD 20.4K
79.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$5,705 MKD 314.5K
208.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$62.8 MKD 3,461
62.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$37.53 MKD 2,069
18.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$91.9 MKD 5,068
7.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$101 MKD 5,589
21.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$274 MKD 15.1K
487.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$197 MKD 10.9K
503.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$558 MKD 30.8K
404.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$332 MKD 18.3K
506.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$1,693 MKD 93.3K
363.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,001 MKD 55.2K
357.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Kocani
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$456 MKD 25.1K
245.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.23
-8.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kocani: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Kocani
$197 83.4% $993
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Kocani
$151 44.5% $121
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Kocani
$142 41.5% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Kocani
$188 11.4% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Kocani
$132 20.3% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Kocani
$31 52% $33
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Kocani
$33 47.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $274 in Kocani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $34 in Kocani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $151 per month, with Kocani cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇰 Kocani
🕒 Local time
22:54 10:54 PM
23:54 11:54 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
29,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 28, 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
  • Lisbon Kocani 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Kocani

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
Lisbon vs Kocani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Kocani?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $874 in Kocani, so Kocani is about 60% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Kocani?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Kocani?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $274 in Kocani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Lisbon and in Kocani?
A monthly transit pass in Kocani runs roughly 48% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Kocani?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $371 in Kocani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $874 in Kocani versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kocani but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kocani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Kocani?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Kocani?
Expats usually find Kocani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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