Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stip Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stip

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $774 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,153 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,532 in Stip.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 196% more expensive than in Stip, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Stip is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$5.80 MKD 311

179.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$15.99 MKD 858

296.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.95 MKD 266

108.48%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.98 MKD 106

42.93%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.76 MKD 94.5

30.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.23 MKD 66.1

28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.29 MKD 123

48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.65 MKD 142

52.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.33 MKD 71.2

-18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.67 MKD 36.09

161.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.12 MKD 60.0

57.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.03 MKD 109

56.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.33 MKD 555

27.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.34 MKD 394

8.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.50 MKD 403

107.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.90 MKD 48.53

163.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.38 MKD 74.0

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.31 MKD 70.2

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.63 MKD 87.5

49.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.99 MKD 52.9

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.37 MKD 73.8

48.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.58 MKD 31.02

231.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.41 MKD 22.01

107.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.95 MKD 159

123.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.60 MKD 408

-26.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.99 MKD 53.1

34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.79 MKD 95.9

65.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.64 MKD 34.35

256.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$19.79 MKD 1,063

131.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.16 MKD 62.1

264.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.53 MKD 28.38

52.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.61 MKD 301

228.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.49 MKD 80.0

39.60%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$31.7K MKD 1.7M

9.24%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

13.91%

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

$148 €130

$147 MKD 7,914

0.42%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$9.36 MKD 503

118.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$15.45 MKD 829

156.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$27.94 MKD 1,500

71.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.75 MKD 255

94.11%

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

$616 €540

$219 MKD 11.8K

181.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,186 MKD 63.7K

1285.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$36.87 MKD 1,979

178.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$31.76 MKD 1,705

31.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$75.4 MKD 4,049

25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$114 MKD 6,105

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$209 MKD 11.2K

682.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$133 MKD 7,150

825.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$338 MKD 18.1K

817.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$203 MKD 10.9K

902.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,228 MKD 65.9K

537.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$988 MKD 53.0K

344.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$463 MKD 24.9K

247.16%

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 Stip: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $209 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 247% 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 $16.00 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $186 per month, with Stip 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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Stip differ by about 196% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $774 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 247% 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 $209 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $219 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Stip versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Stip but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Stip 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 Stip 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 Stip gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.