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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $864 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,243 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,621 in Strumica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 164% more expensive than in Strumica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Strumica is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.65 MKD 195

331.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$28.65 MKD 1,531

121.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.03 MKD 269

107.75%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.73 MKD 92.3

68.21%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.52 MKD 81.1

50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.16 MKD 62.0

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.86 MKD 99.6

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.24 MKD 120

76.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.36 MKD 72.5

-20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.72 MKD 38.53

144.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.78 MKD 95.4

-4.49%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.08 MKD 111

56.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$10.35 MKD 553

28.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.19 MKD 331

24.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.37 MKD 554

52.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.65 MKD 34.70

250.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.39 MKD 74.2

19.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.21 MKD 64.7

66.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.63 MKD 87.3

51.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.87 MKD 46.65

105.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.88 MKD 46.81

135.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.57 MKD 30.55

245.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.56 MKD 29.97

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.79 MKD 149

134.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.43 MKD 290

2.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.96 MKD 51.3

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.21 MKD 64.6

148.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.76 MKD 40.81

198.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$20.46 MKD 1,094

126.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.12 MKD 59.7

277.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.49 MKD 26.37

73.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.47 MKD 346

191.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.43 MKD 76.4

41.26%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$31.5K MKD 1.7M

11.05%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$33.5K MKD 1.8M

18.18%

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

$148 €128

$146 MKD 7,793

1.44%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$13.21 MKD 706

55.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$15.52 MKD 830

154.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$20.37 MKD 1,089

136.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.63 MKD 247

96.54%

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

$615 €532

$215 MKD 11.5K

185.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$1,201 MKD 64.2K

1256.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$76.3 MKD 4,080

33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$47.06 MKD 2,515

-10.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$75.7 MKD 4,047

21.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$95.2 MKD 5,089

28.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$323 MKD 17.3K

398.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$239 MKD 12.7K

425.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$511 MKD 27.3K

500.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$304 MKD 16.2K

571.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,474 MKD 78.8K

425.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$996 MKD 53.2K

330.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$652 MKD 34.9K

145.56%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Strumica: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $323 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 146% 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 $267 vs $185 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 164% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $864 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% 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 $323 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $215 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 $864 in Strumica versus $2,280 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 164% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.