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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $887 in Sveti Nikole.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,323 in Sveti Nikole.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,759 in Sveti Nikole.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 149% more expensive than Sveti Nikole, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sveti Nikole is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.74 MKD 302

177.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$28.63 MKD 1,509

126.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.21 MKD 275

101.73%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.73 MKD 91.4

65.90%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.67 MKD 88.3

34.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.26 MKD 66.5

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.20 MKD 116

58.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.69 MKD 142

44.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.29 MKD 68.1

-11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.71 MKD 37.59

146.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.72 MKD 90.7

2.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.08 MKD 110

54.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.30 MKD 438

62.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.47 MKD 341

22.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$13.33 MKD 703

19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.07 MKD 56.5

115.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.45 MKD 76.2

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.27 MKD 66.7

58.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.58 MKD 83.1

55.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.94 MKD 49.70

95.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.99 MKD 52.3

102.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.62 MKD 32.51

211.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.53 MKD 27.75

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.06 MKD 161

116.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.48 MKD 341

-11.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.01 MKD 53.3

35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.46 MKD 76.8

103.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.65 MKD 34.20

264.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$20.07 MKD 1,058

127.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.29 MKD 68.2

232.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.49 MKD 25.87

67.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.44 MKD 339

184.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.43 MKD 75.5

44.06%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.1K MKD 1.7M

6.82%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.0K MKD 1.6M

31.16%

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

$148 €127

$145 MKD 7,619

2.28%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$17.35 MKD 915

18.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.43 MKD 813

156.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$26.73 MKD 1,409

79.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.60 MKD 243

99.57%

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

$614 €528

$215 MKD 11.4K

185.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,226 MKD 64.6K

1209.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$76.1 MKD 4,009

37.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$39.12 MKD 2,061

7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$74.4 MKD 3,922

26.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$111 MKD 5,860

7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$281 MKD 14.8K

478.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$198 MKD 10.4K

533.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$563 MKD 29.7K

438.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$309 MKD 16.3K

553.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,644 MKD 86.6K

374.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,276 MKD 67.3K

234.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$568 MKD 29.9K

182.19%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $281 in Sveti Nikole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 182% 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 $29.00 in Sveti Nikole for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $194 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 149% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $887 including rent). Sveti Nikole is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 182% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $281 in Sveti Nikole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $215 in Sveti Nikole. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Sveti Nikole versus $2,210 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 149% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.