Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tetovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tetovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $996 in Tetovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,490 in Tetovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,985 in Tetovo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 129% more expensive than in Tetovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tetovo is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$5.77 MKD 310

172.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$24.99 MKD 1,344

154.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$5.17 MKD 278

102.13%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.52 MKD 81.9

91.45%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.54 MKD 82.7

48.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.96 MKD 51.5

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.27 MKD 122

56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.22 MKD 119

78.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.30 MKD 69.9

-16.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.66 MKD 35.41

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.36 MKD 73.4

25.00%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.03 MKD 109

60.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.31 MKD 393

81.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$5.33 MKD 287

44.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$10.70 MKD 575

47.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.03 MKD 55.6

121.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.43 MKD 76.9

16.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.02 MKD 54.7

98.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.58 MKD 84.9

56.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.93 MKD 50.3

92.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.73 MKD 39.28

183.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.89 MKD 47.89

121.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.56 MKD 30.10

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.14 MKD 169

108.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$4.60 MKD 248

21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.95 MKD 51.1

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.47 MKD 79.3

104.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.37 MKD 19.83

513.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$11.40 MKD 613

306.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.11 MKD 59.8

281.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.53 MKD 28.35

60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$6.75 MKD 363

178.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.42 MKD 76.5

42.25%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$32.2K MKD 1.7M

8.50%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$34.1K MKD 1.8M

16.11%

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

$148 €129

$143 MKD 7,671

3.69%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$17.92 MKD 964

14.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$15.73 MKD 846

151.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$87.9 MKD 4,726

-45.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$4.57 MKD 246

99.12%

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

$615 €536

$217 MKD 11.7K

182.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$2,250 MKD 121.0K

623.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$64.7 MKD 3,476

57.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$48.85 MKD 2,627

-13.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$75.5 MKD 4,058

22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$112 MKD 5,998

9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$357 MKD 19.2K

351.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$283 MKD 15.2K

343.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$607 MKD 32.6K

405.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$501 MKD 26.9K

306.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,230 MKD 66.1K

530.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,114 MKD 59.9K

284.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$885 MKD 47.6K

81.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.75

1.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $357 in Tetovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 81% 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 $25.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $171 per month, with Tetovo 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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tetovo differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $996 including rent). Tetovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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 $357 in Tetovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $217 in Tetovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Tetovo versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tetovo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tetovo 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 Tetovo 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 Tetovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.