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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $894 in Sveti Nikole.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,352 in Sveti Nikole.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,811 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 69% above, Sveti Nikole is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$9.38 MKD 495

84.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$34.67 MKD 1,828

82.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$5.40 MKD 285

110.93%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.75 MKD 92.1

82.29%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.45 MKD 76.5

68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.01 MKD 53.5

74.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.58 MKD 83.3

127.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.86 MKD 98.3

82.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.40 MKD 74.1

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.56 MKD 29.58

253.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.20 MKD 63.3

26.67%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.55 MKD 135

58.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$9.66 MKD 509

40.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.64 MKD 245

80.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$12.40 MKD 654

47.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.39 MKD 73.4

64.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.36 MKD 71.6

27.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.35 MKD 71.4

37.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.78 MKD 93.8

47.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.79 MKD 41.50

143.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.21 MKD 63.9

72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.83 MKD 43.89

73.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.41 MKD 21.58

104.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.13 MKD 165

116.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.45 MKD 340

-11.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.06 MKD 55.8

30.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.47 MKD 77.7

51.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.78 MKD 41.20

207.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$25.00 MKD 1,318

87.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.55 MKD 81.8

169.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.06 MKD 56.0

7.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$3.83 MKD 202

361.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.44 MKD 76.1

61.11%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

4.42%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$28.0K MKD 1.5M

48.01%

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

$170 €146

$152 MKD 8,017

12.04%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$15.96 MKD 841

21.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$12.48 MKD 658

169.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$23.62 MKD 1,245

103.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$16.78 MKD 885

18.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$5.21 MKD 275

90.40%

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

$717 €617

$356 MKD 18.8K

101.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,864 MKD 256.5K

259.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$77.0 MKD 4,062

35.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$33.42 MKD 1,762

40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$83.6 MKD 4,410

23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$88.8 MKD 4,685

39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$312 MKD 16.5K

437.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$184 MKD 9,690

591.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$491 MKD 25.9K

508.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$305 MKD 16.1K

552.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,613 MKD 85.0K

385.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,204 MKD 63.5K

286.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$569 MKD 30.0K

177.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.25

-10.82%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $312 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 178% 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 $35.00 in Sveti Nikole for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $188 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 ($2,316 vs $894 including rent). Sveti Nikole is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $312 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $356 in Sveti Nikole. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $894 in Sveti Nikole versus $2,316 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.