Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sveti Nikole Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sveti Nikole

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $885 in Sveti Nikole.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,299 in Sveti Nikole.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,713 in Sveti Nikole.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sveti Nikole is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.66 MKD 303

186.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$27.68 MKD 1,485

128.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.13 MKD 275

101.17%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.71 MKD 91.9

65.50%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.61 MKD 86.3

42.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.23 MKD 66.2

28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.32 MKD 124

46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.74 MKD 147

47.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.25 MKD 66.8

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.73 MKD 39.37

139.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.69 MKD 90.7

4.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.04 MKD 110

55.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.56 MKD 459

54.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.33 MKD 339

25.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$13.78 MKD 739

12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.07 MKD 57.4

121.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.37 MKD 73.6

24.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.25 MKD 67.0

60.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.63 MKD 87.5

49.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.95 MKD 50.8

85.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.91 MKD 48.76

123.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.61 MKD 32.50

214.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.54 MKD 28.75

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.07 MKD 165

114.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.62 MKD 355

-15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.96 MKD 51.4

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.52 MKD 81.6

95.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.64 MKD 34.09

256.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$20.57 MKD 1,103

122.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.34 MKD 72.0

215.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.50 MKD 26.71

62.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.69 MKD 359

175.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.42 MKD 76.1

46.48%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$31.7K MKD 1.7M

9.25%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.5K MKD 1.6M

32.77%

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

$148 €130

$146 MKD 7,851

1.15%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$17.61 MKD 944

16.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$15.28 MKD 820

158.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$26.21 MKD 1,406

83.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.58 MKD 246

101.31%

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

$616 €539

$223 MKD 12.0K

175.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,208 MKD 64.8K

1260.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$76.2 MKD 4,085

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$40.34 MKD 2,164

3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$76.0 MKD 4,079

24.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$113 MKD 6,050

8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$280 MKD 15.0K

482.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$193 MKD 10.3K

539.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$573 MKD 30.7K

440.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$305 MKD 16.4K

565.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,602 MKD 85.9K

388.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,274 MKD 68.3K

244.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$561 MKD 30.1K

186.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.54

-16.08%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $280 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 187% 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 $28.00 in Sveti Nikole for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $195 per month, with Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sveti Nikole differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $885 including rent). Sveti Nikole is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 187% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $280 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $223 in Sveti Nikole. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $885 in Sveti Nikole versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sveti Nikole but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole 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 Sveti Nikole 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.