Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Strumica Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Strumica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $875 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,251 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,627 in Strumica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 159% more expensive than Strumica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Strumica is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$3.71 MKD 197

329.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$28.68 MKD 1,522

120.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.97 MKD 264

108.85%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.67 MKD 88.8

67.07%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.46 MKD 77.2

60.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.12 MKD 59.3

40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.84 MKD 97.6

86.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.18 MKD 116

79.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.33 MKD 70.6

-18.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.72 MKD 38.31

145.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.77 MKD 93.9

-3.39%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.08 MKD 111

51.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.36 MKD 550

32.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.37 MKD 338

25.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$10.38 MKD 551

49.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$0.68 MKD 36.07

236.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.37 MKD 72.7

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.23 MKD 65.3

57.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.61 MKD 85.5

55.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.92 MKD 48.86

94.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.84 MKD 44.56

139.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.58 MKD 30.84

239.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.54 MKD 28.60

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.78 MKD 148

144.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$5.51 MKD 293

2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.98 MKD 52.0

41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.20 MKD 63.9

151.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.73 MKD 38.56

210.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$20.59 MKD 1,092

120.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.10 MKD 58.3

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.49 MKD 26.24

73.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.75 MKD 358

170.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.50 MKD 79.5

32.67%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$31.5K MKD 1.7M

11.22%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

18.70%

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

$146 €126

$143 MKD 7,586

2.25%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$13.40 MKD 711

52.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$15.59 MKD 827

150.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$20.32 MKD 1,078

141.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$4.68 MKD 248

103.42%

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

$608 €524

$223 MKD 11.8K

172.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$1,207 MKD 64.1K

1267.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$76.1 MKD 4,036

36.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$48.25 MKD 2,560

-12.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$73.9 MKD 3,922

24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$93.0 MKD 4,935

29.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$324 MKD 17.2K

400.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$244 MKD 13.0K

418.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$511 MKD 27.1K

496.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$300 MKD 15.9K

569.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,478 MKD 78.4K

418.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,004 MKD 53.3K

331.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$664 MKD 35.3K

138.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-4.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Strumica: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $324 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 139% 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 $29.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $186 per month, with Strumica 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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Strumica differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $875 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 139% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $324 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $223 in Strumica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $875 in Strumica versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Strumica but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Strumica 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 Strumica 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 Strumica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.