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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $808 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,194 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,580 in Struga.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 176% more expensive than Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Struga is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.47 MKD 394

116.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$30.53 MKD 1,610

111.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.74 MKD 250

118.99%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.58 MKD 83.1

75.32%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.78 MKD 93.7

26.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.23 MKD 64.8

27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.65 MKD 140

31.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.35 MKD 177

19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.19 MKD 62.8

-9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.67 MKD 35.56

159.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.76 MKD 92.8

-1.14%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.07 MKD 109

53.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$6.68 MKD 352

101.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$5.49 MKD 289

45.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$9.31 MKD 491

72.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.55 MKD 28.88

314.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.32 MKD 69.7

30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.95 MKD 50.3

104.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.16 MKD 61.0

118.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.72 MKD 38.09

154.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 MKD 52.0

106.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.58 MKD 30.47

241.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.40 MKD 20.93

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.26 MKD 172

110.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.63 MKD 244

24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.10 MKD 57.9

24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.00 MKD 53.0

190.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.63 MKD 33.22

261.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$20.30 MKD 1,070

130.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.96 MKD 50.8

325.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.50 MKD 26.25

64.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.54 MKD 398

142.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.47 MKD 77.6

36.73%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

5.07%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$29.9K MKD 1.6M

28.78%

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

$145 €124

$90.7 MKD 4,783

60.27%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$15.09 MKD 796

38.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$19.15 MKD 1,010

109.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$26.68 MKD 1,407

82.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$22.16 MKD 1,169

-15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.38 MKD 336

42.01%

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

$607 €519

$323 MKD 17.0K

87.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,180 MKD 62.2K

1283.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$78.3 MKD 4,127

33.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$27.71 MKD 1,461

47.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$67.0 MKD 3,531

39.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$37.26 MKD 1,965

218.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$287 MKD 15.1K

459.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$230 MKD 12.1K

437.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$387 MKD 20.4K

687.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$318 MKD 16.8K

545.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,626 MKD 85.7K

374.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,431 MKD 75.5K

198.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,009 MKD 53.2K

57.06%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Struga: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $287 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 57% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $158 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 176% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $808 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 57% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $287 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $323 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $808 in Struga versus $2,227 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 176% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.