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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $898 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,355 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,812 in Struga.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 156% more expensive than in Struga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Struga is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$7.42 MKD 395

137.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$30.35 MKD 1,614

107.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.47 MKD 291

111.70%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.57 MKD 83.7

97.45%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.89 MKD 100

31.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.25 MKD 66.7

39.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.76 MKD 147

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.35 MKD 178

2.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.29 MKD 68.8

-10.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.75 MKD 39.67

154.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.59 MKD 84.4

-5.66%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.09 MKD 111

90.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$7.86 MKD 418

69.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.72 MKD 357

19.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$13.02 MKD 693

38.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.40 MKD 74.6

67.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.40 MKD 74.2

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.30 MKD 69.1

42.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.65 MKD 87.6

54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.83 MKD 44.39

121.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.86 MKD 45.79

144.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.65 MKD 34.53

129.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.58 MKD 30.77

41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.54 MKD 188

100.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$4.57 MKD 243

29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.09 MKD 58.0

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.54 MKD 81.8

38.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.92 MKD 48.84

156.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$56.5 MKD 3,006

-17.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.12 MKD 59.4

264.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.60 MKD 31.67

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$5.07 MKD 270

237.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.51 MKD 80.3

52.98%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$36.3K MKD 1.9M

-5.91%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$27.8K MKD 1.5M

48.85%

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

$169 €147

$101 MKD 5,364

67.10%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$11.22 MKD 597

72.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$18.94 MKD 1,007

76.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$20.17 MKD 1,073

142.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$12.07 MKD 642

60.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.56 MKD 402

26.59%

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

$696 €607

$124 MKD 6,571

463.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,650 MKD 87.7K

952.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$86.9 MKD 4,622

21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$31.90 MKD 1,696

49.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$74.4 MKD 3,956

35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$55.1 MKD 2,929

125.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$280 MKD 14.9K

492.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$227 MKD 12.1K

448.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$451 MKD 24.0K

557.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$370 MKD 19.7K

453.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,552 MKD 82.5K

404.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,404 MKD 74.7K

217.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$879 MKD 46.7K

85.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.75

0.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Struga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $280 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 86% 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 $30.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $192 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $898 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $280 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $124 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $898 in Struga versus $2,296 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 156% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.