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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $853 in Stip.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,260 in Stip.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,667 in Stip.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than in Stip, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Stip is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$7.53 MKD 398

133.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$23.64 MKD 1,249

172.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.78 MKD 358

71.83%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.86 MKD 98.2

75.27%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.55 MKD 82.0

60.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.16 MKD 61.4

43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.84 MKD 97.4

88.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.92 MKD 154

22.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.27 MKD 67.2

-7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.82 MKD 43.07

137.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.16 MKD 61.5

34.48%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.59 MKD 137

54.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.69 MKD 459

52.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.52 MKD 397

11.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.69 MKD 406

137.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.93 MKD 49.25

149.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.43 MKD 75.3

20.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.39 MKD 73.5

38.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.72 MKD 90.8

53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.93 MKD 48.93

104.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.89 MKD 46.77

137.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.59 MKD 31.21

144.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.42 MKD 22.08

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.26 MKD 172

115.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.61 MKD 402

-22.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.09 MKD 57.4

24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.53 MKD 81.0

40.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.65 MKD 34.21

266.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$22.86 MKD 1,208

102.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.14 MKD 60.3

267.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.68 MKD 35.94

61.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.79 MKD 306

198.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.52 MKD 80.5

48.03%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$36.7K MKD 1.9M

-6.00%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$28.1K MKD 1.5M

48.34%

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

$171 €147

$165 MKD 8,691

3.87%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.36 MKD 495

103.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$17.13 MKD 905

100.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$28.13 MKD 1,486

76.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.64 MKD 351

52.11%

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

$699 €603

$381 MKD 20.1K

83.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,594 MKD 295.6K

217.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$38.16 MKD 2,016

174.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$31.71 MKD 1,675

51.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$108 MKD 5,689

-5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$114 MKD 6,022

12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$209 MKD 11.0K

696.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$131 MKD 6,901

840.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$341 MKD 18.0K

755.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$204 MKD 10.8K

889.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,246 MKD 65.9K

552.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,000 MKD 52.8K

363.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$472 MKD 24.9K

243.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.25

-11.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Stip: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $209 in Stip. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 243% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Stip for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 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 166% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $853 including rent). Stip is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 243% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $209 in Stip. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $381 in Stip. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $853 in Stip versus $2,268 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 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.