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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $894 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,257 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,620 in Strumica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 157% more expensive than in 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

$17.59 €15.31

$3.68 MKD 197

377.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$23.66 MKD 1,266

165.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$3.84 MKD 206

201.56%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.63 MKD 87.1

90.18%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.39 MKD 74.3

79.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.24 MKD 66.6

40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.93 MKD 103

80.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.01 MKD 108

71.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.31 MKD 70.1

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.77 MKD 41.19

148.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.80 MKD 96.2

-16.67%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.19 MKD 117

81.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$8.66 MKD 463

53.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.42 MKD 344

24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$10.27 MKD 550

75.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$0.69 MKD 36.71

240.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.45 MKD 77.4

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.19 MKD 63.6

55.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.10 MKD 112

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.91 MKD 48.53

102.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.83 MKD 44.17

153.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.60 MKD 32.34

148.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.62 MKD 33.32

32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$2.88 MKD 154

146.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$5.77 MKD 309

2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$0.97 MKD 52.1

35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.20 MKD 64.3

77.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.73 MKD 39.32

223.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.11 MKD 59.7

267.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.60 MKD 31.88

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$7.96 MKD 426

114.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.58 MKD 84.7

46.20%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$37.2K MKD 2.0M

-8.35%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$27.8K MKD 1.5M

48.77%

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

$169 €147

$157 MKD 8,419

7.15%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$13.02 MKD 697

48.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$18.96 MKD 1,015

76.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$20.68 MKD 1,107

136.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$7.73 MKD 414

23.80%

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

$696 €606

$372 MKD 19.9K

86.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,799 MKD 310.3K

199.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$86.4 MKD 4,622

21.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$37.62 MKD 2,013

26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$103 MKD 5,537

-2.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$92.1 MKD 4,928

35.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$324 MKD 17.3K

413.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$244 MKD 13.0K

411.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$490 MKD 26.2K

505.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$302 MKD 16.1K

578.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,478 MKD 79.1K

429.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$990 MKD 53.0K

350.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$669 MKD 35.8K

143.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-5.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Strumica: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $324 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 144% 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 $24.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 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 157% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $894 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 144% 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 $324 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $894 in Strumica – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $894 in Strumica versus $2,296 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 157% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.