Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Veles Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Veles

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $785 in Veles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,155 in Veles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,525 in Veles.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 189% more expensive than in Veles, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Veles is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$8.74 MKD 462

100.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$18.64 MKD 985

245.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.75 MKD 304

102.61%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.58 MKD 83.6

106.33%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.31 MKD 69.1

90.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.84 MKD 44.63

98.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.55 MKD 81.9

123.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.30 MKD 175

8.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.10 MKD 58.1

7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.51 MKD 26.71

282.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.53 MKD 80.7

1.96%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.56 MKD 135

56.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$2.96 MKD 156

348.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.03 MKD 213

108.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$15.26 MKD 806

19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.53 MKD 80.8

51.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.44 MKD 75.9

20.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.43 MKD 75.5

34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.02 MKD 107

30.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.87 MKD 45.72

118.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.87 MKD 46.00

142.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.62 MKD 32.61

132.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.58 MKD 30.53

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.49 MKD 184

100.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.42 MKD 339

-7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.10 MKD 58.2

23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.55 MKD 82.0

38.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.79 MKD 41.62

201.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$24.38 MKD 1,288

89.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.14 MKD 60.3

267.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.69 MKD 36.42

59.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.61 MKD 402

126.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.43 MKD 75.4

57.34%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.4K MKD 1.4M

25.78%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.2K MKD 1.3M

65.38%

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

$171 €147

$116 MKD 6,103

47.92%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$17.79 MKD 940

6.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$12.37 MKD 654

177.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$26.11 MKD 1,379

90.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$18.35 MKD 969

6.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.32 MKD 175

204.22%

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

$699 €603

$229 MKD 12.1K

204.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,616 MKD 296.7K

216.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$22.52 MKD 1,190

364.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$18.78 MKD 992

155.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$74.0 MKD 3,911

37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$111 MKD 5,876

15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$223 MKD 11.8K

644.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$178 MKD 9,390

591.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$291 MKD 15.3K

903.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$235 MKD 12.4K

760.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,229 MKD 64.9K

561.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$982 MKD 51.9K

371.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$601 MKD 31.8K

169.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.25

-11.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Veles: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $223 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 169% 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 $19.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $174 per month, with Veles 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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Veles differ by about 189% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $785 including rent). Veles is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 169% 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 $223 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $229 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $785 in Veles versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Veles but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Veles 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 Veles 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 Veles gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.