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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,044 in Tetovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,546 in Tetovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,048 in Tetovo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 117% more expensive than in Tetovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Tetovo is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$7.44 MKD 393

135.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$28.55 MKD 1,508

125.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.12 MKD 323

90.36%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.62 MKD 85.6

101.23%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.60 MKD 84.7

55.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.03 MKD 54.3

62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.25 MKD 119

54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.30 MKD 122

55.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.32 MKD 69.9

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.67 MKD 35.33

191.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.43 MKD 75.4

9.09%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.11 MKD 112

90.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.35 MKD 388

80.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.55 MKD 293

51.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.44 MKD 551

74.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.43 MKD 75.6

62.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.42 MKD 75.2

21.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.00 MKD 52.7

93.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.09 MKD 110

26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.86 MKD 45.30

120.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.73 MKD 38.78

189.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.66 MKD 34.68

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.57 MKD 29.88

40.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.14 MKD 166

123.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$4.80 MKD 254

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.10 MKD 58.0

23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.48 MKD 78.4

45.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.40 MKD 20.87

495.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$11.47 MKD 606

302.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.10 MKD 58.1

280.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.60 MKD 31.45

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.74 MKD 409

123.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.52 MKD 80.2

48.03%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$36.4K MKD 1.9M

-5.35%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$28.2K MKD 1.5M

47.83%

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

$171 €147

$165 MKD 8,736

3.34%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.08 MKD 1,008

-0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$20.12 MKD 1,063

70.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$71.7 MKD 3,790

-30.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$18.56 MKD 980

5.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.76 MKD 304

75.35%

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

$699 €603

$228 MKD 12.0K

206.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,292 MKD 121.1K

675.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$65.7 MKD 3,469

59.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$40.10 MKD 2,119

19.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$109 MKD 5,735

-6.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$117 MKD 6,162

10.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$369 MKD 19.5K

350.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$282 MKD 14.9K

335.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$605 MKD 32.0K

381.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$504 MKD 26.6K

301.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,284 MKD 67.8K

533.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,115 MKD 58.9K

315.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$899 MKD 47.5K

80.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.75

0.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $369 in Tetovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 80% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $177 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,044 including rent). Tetovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $369 in Tetovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $228 in Tetovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,044 in Tetovo versus $2,268 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 117% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.