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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $780 in Struga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,193 in Struga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,605 in Struga.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 192% more expensive than in Struga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Struga is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$7.69 MKD 411

104.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$30.52 MKD 1,631

107.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$4.68 MKD 250

123.29%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.51 MKD 80.5

92.72%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.69 MKD 90.4

35.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.29 MKD 69.1

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.66 MKD 142

33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.41 MKD 182

16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.14 MKD 60.9

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.63 MKD 33.71

179.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.75 MKD 93.3

-2.86%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.09 MKD 111

55.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$6.94 MKD 371

90.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$5.62 MKD 300

37.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$9.51 MKD 508

65.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.57 MKD 30.60

300.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.32 MKD 70.7

25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.92 MKD 49.14

119.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.10 MKD 58.9

124.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.77 MKD 40.94

132.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.90 MKD 47.93

130.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.54 MKD 28.86

264.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.37 MKD 19.66

124.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.14 MKD 168

108.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$3.68 MKD 197

51.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.06 MKD 56.9

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.01 MKD 53.9

198.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.69 MKD 36.87

228.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$20.37 MKD 1,089

127.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.99 MKD 52.7

327.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.53 MKD 28.21

60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$7.70 MKD 412

144.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.46 MKD 78.1

38.36%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

2.71%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$29.6K MKD 1.6M

33.89%

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

$148 €128

$90.9 MKD 4,858

62.72%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$14.98 MKD 800

36.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$19.69 MKD 1,052

100.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$25.84 MKD 1,381

86.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$22.22 MKD 1,187

-17.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$6.64 MKD 355

37.05%

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

$615 €532

$311 MKD 16.6K

97.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$1,179 MKD 63.0K

1281.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$77.9 MKD 4,161

30.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$27.82 MKD 1,486

51.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$66.4 MKD 3,546

39.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$37.12 MKD 1,984

228.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$290 MKD 15.5K

456.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$231 MKD 12.3K

443.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$396 MKD 21.2K

674.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$321 MKD 17.2K

533.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,569 MKD 83.9K

393.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,355 MKD 72.4K

216.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$878 MKD 46.9K

82.36%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Struga: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $290 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 82% 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 $31.00 in Struga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $156 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 192% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $780 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $290 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $311 in Struga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $780 in Struga versus $2,280 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 192% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.