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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $889 in Strumica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,282 in Strumica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,674 in Strumica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 150% more expensive than Strumica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Strumica is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$3.65 MKD 193

343.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$28.37 MKD 1,496

127.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.99 MKD 263

108.02%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.66 MKD 87.6

66.87%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.52 MKD 80.3

48.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.15 MKD 60.7

36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.91 MKD 101

82.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.21 MKD 116

81.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.34 MKD 70.5

-19.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.73 MKD 38.32

138.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.79 MKD 94.2

-2.79%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.04 MKD 108

55.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$10.14 MKD 535

32.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.27 MKD 330

27.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.53 MKD 556

52.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.64 MKD 33.64

256.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.45 MKD 76.5

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.20 MKD 63.1

61.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.65 MKD 86.8

53.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.94 MKD 49.71

94.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.89 MKD 46.71

129.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.57 MKD 30.19

247.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.57 MKD 30.01

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.76 MKD 145

148.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$5.56 MKD 293

3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.91 MKD 48.11

50.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.20 MKD 63.3

141.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.73 MKD 38.39

212.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$19.98 MKD 1,053

134.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.16 MKD 61.0

251.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.49 MKD 25.64

67.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.69 MKD 353

173.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.43 MKD 75.2

40.56%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

10.64%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

15.08%

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

$145 €124

$146 MKD 7,703

-0.47%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$13.29 MKD 701

57.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$15.59 MKD 822

156.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$20.90 MKD 1,102

133.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.74 MKD 250

91.14%

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

$607 €519

$219 MKD 11.6K

176.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,195 MKD 63.0K

1266.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$77.7 MKD 4,099

34.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$47.91 MKD 2,526

-14.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$74.4 MKD 3,921

25.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$93.1 MKD 4,911

27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$320 MKD 16.9K

400.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$244 MKD 12.9K

406.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$496 MKD 26.1K

514.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$305 MKD 16.1K

575.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,546 MKD 81.5K

398.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,009 MKD 53.2K

322.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$659 MKD 34.7K

140.38%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Strumica: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $320 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 140% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 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 150% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $889 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 140% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $320 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $219 in Strumica. 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 $889 in Strumica versus $2,227 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 150% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.