Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Skopje Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Skopje

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,087 in Skopje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,634 in Skopje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,180 in Skopje.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Skopje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Skopje is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.58 MKD 407

113.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$33.45 MKD 1,796

89.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.70 MKD 360

54.03%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.27 MKD 122

24.67%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.03 MKD 109

12.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.29 MKD 69.3

22.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.66 MKD 143

27.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.35 MKD 180

20.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.29 MKD 69.5

-15.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.76 MKD 40.83

130.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.67 MKD 89.7

5.39%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.21 MKD 119

43.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.13 MKD 490

44.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.78 MKD 418

2.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.71 MKD 736

13.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.06 MKD 57.1

123.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.43 MKD 76.8

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.35 MKD 72.6

48.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.17 MKD 116

11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.89 MKD 47.79

97.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.90 MKD 48.49

125.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.69 MKD 36.95

178.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.55 MKD 29.72

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.18 MKD 171

106.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.26 MKD 390

-23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.07 MKD 57.3

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.52 MKD 81.5

95.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.76 MKD 40.98

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$28.58 MKD 1,534

60.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.96 MKD 51.6

340.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.48 MKD 26.03

68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$7.41 MKD 398

148.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.49 MKD 79.7

39.60%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$33.7K MKD 1.8M

3.01%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.3K MKD 1.6M

33.79%

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

$148 €130

$160 MKD 8,580

-7.38%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$18.05 MKD 969

13.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$19.13 MKD 1,027

106.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$38.66 MKD 2,075

24.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$17.36 MKD 932

7.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.62 MKD 356

39.27%

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

$616 €540

$320 MKD 17.2K

92.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,642 MKD 249.2K

254.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$77.5 MKD 4,160

32.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$40.16 MKD 2,156

3.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$100 MKD 5,368

-5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$110 MKD 5,918

10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$425 MKD 22.8K

284.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$310 MKD 16.6K

297.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$645 MKD 34.6K

380.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$463 MKD 24.8K

338.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,731 MKD 146.6K

186.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,740 MKD 93.4K

152.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$886 MKD 47.6K

81.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.54

-16.08%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Skopje: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $425 in Skopje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 81% 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 $33.00 in Skopje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $210 per month, with Skopje 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 Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Skopje differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,087 including rent). Skopje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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 $425 in Skopje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $320 in Skopje. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Skopje versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skopje but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Skopje 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 Skopje 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 Skopje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.