Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Struga Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Struga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $789 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,198 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,607 in Struga.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 181% more expensive than Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Struga is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$7.65 MKD 405

106.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$30.64 MKD 1,623

103.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$4.68 MKD 248

125.21%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.52 MKD 80.4

82.24%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.76 MKD 93.4

29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.28 MKD 68.0

21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.70 MKD 143

31.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.46 MKD 183

15.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.19 MKD 62.8

-9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.64 MKD 34.16

176.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.67 MKD 88.4

5.99%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.01 MKD 106

55.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$6.80 MKD 360

96.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$5.81 MKD 308

37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$9.44 MKD 500

68.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.58 MKD 30.76

293.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.33 MKD 70.7

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$0.98 MKD 52.0

102.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.15 MKD 61.1

113.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.73 MKD 38.83

142.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.93 MKD 49.15

111.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.55 MKD 28.89

258.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.37 MKD 19.42

116.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$3.11 MKD 165

110.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$4.72 MKD 250

21.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.05 MKD 55.7

25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.02 MKD 53.9

193.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.68 MKD 36.02

244.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$20.43 MKD 1,082

124.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.90 MKD 47.80

373.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.49 MKD 26.21

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$7.47 MKD 395

152.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.43 MKD 75.5

44.76%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

3.59%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$29.5K MKD 1.6M

30.91%

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

$151 €130

$91.7 MKD 4,854

64.90%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$15.06 MKD 798

38.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$18.98 MKD 1,005

108.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$26.71 MKD 1,414

81.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$22.74 MKD 1,204

-18.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$6.52 MKD 345

38.65%

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

$610 €525

$319 MKD 16.9K

91.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,211 MKD 64.2K

1243.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$75.9 MKD 4,019

33.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$27.85 MKD 1,475

45.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$66.7 MKD 3,535

39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$38.10 MKD 2,018

211.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$283 MKD 15.0K

467.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$225 MKD 11.9K

449.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$388 MKD 20.6K

677.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$323 MKD 17.1K

538.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,570 MKD 83.1K

408.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,405 MKD 74.4K

222.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$974 MKD 51.6K

67.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Struga: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $283 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $159 per month, with Struga 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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Struga differ by about 181% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $789 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 67% more on average, 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $283 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $319 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $789 in Struga versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Struga 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 Struga 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.