Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Struga and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $867 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Struga
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Struga Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Struga

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$867

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Struga and in Bucharest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Struga and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $867 in Struga versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Struga $867
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,319 in Struga versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Struga $1,319
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,771 in Struga versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Struga $1,771
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Struga costs roughly 35% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Struga 36% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 MKD 402

$14.49 RON 68.6

-49.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.55 MKD 1,612

$58.1 RON 275

-49.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 MKD 292

$7.48 RON 35.40

-28.48%

Cappuccino

$1.50 MKD 81.9

$3.44 RON 16.29

-56.40%

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

$1.79 MKD 97.7

$2.37 RON 11.22

-24.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MKD 63.7

$2.30 RON 10.88

-49.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MKD 149

$3.70 RON 17.51

-26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MKD 166

$4.16 RON 19.69

-26.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MKD 68.9

$1.67 RON 7.90

-24.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MKD 37.56

$1.37 RON 6.50

-49.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MKD 87.8

$1.72 RON 8.14

-6.40%

Eggs

$1.97 MKD 107

$3.64 RON 17.22

-45.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 MKD 424

$9.08 RON 42.98

-14.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 MKD 348

$6.84 RON 32.35

-6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 MKD 687

$12.00 RON 56.8

4.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 80.3

$1.23 RON 5.80

19.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 71.8

$1.63 RON 7.73

-19.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 MKD 70.7

$1.57 RON 7.45

-17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MKD 87.4

$2.54 RON 12.01

-37.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 MKD 47.52

$0.79 RON 3.75

10.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MKD 43.56

$0.77 RON 3.66

3.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MKD 32.44

$0.87 RON 4.13

-32.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MKD 29.88

$0.99 RON 4.70

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 MKD 186

$6.31 RON 29.86

-45.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 MKD 246

$6.20 RON 29.34

-27.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 57.9

$1.19 RON 5.63

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 MKD 79.7

$1.57 RON 7.45

-7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 MKD 48.58

$0.86 RON 4.08

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.6 MKD 2,924

$21.10 RON 99.8

154.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 61.0

$0.64 RON 3.05

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.69

$0.60 RON 2.86

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MKD 266

$6.43 RON 30.43

-24.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 81.3

$1.96 RON 9.25

-23.98%

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

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

24.20%

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

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

2.41%

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

$99.8 MKD 5,445

$196 RON 927

-49.04%

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

$10.97 MKD 599

$8.04 RON 38.04

36.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 MKD 1,024

$9.35 RON 44.21

100.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.98 MKD 1,090

$50.2 RON 238

-60.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 MKD 637

$25.33 RON 120

-53.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 MKD 393

$8.15 RON 38.55

-11.53%

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

$116 MKD 6,348

$628 RON 2,971

-81.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,579 MKD 86.1K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-88.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 MKD 4,553

$89.6 RON 424

-6.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.17 MKD 1,646

$38.32 RON 181

-21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 MKD 3,825

$79.3 RON 375

-11.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MKD 2,856

$90.4 RON 428

-42.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 MKD 14.7K

$678 RON 3,209

-60.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MKD 12.3K

$448 RON 2,121

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 MKD 23.9K

$1,083 RON 5,125

-59.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MKD 19.4K

$725 RON 3,430

-50.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,504 MKD 82.0K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-59.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 MKD 72.4K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-39.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 MKD 47.3K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-34.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

6.75

-44.44%

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

Last update for Struga: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Struga

$225 25.9%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 99.4% $224

Groceries & Markets

Struga

$186 21.4%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 21.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Struga

$130 15%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 64.6% $84

Eating Out

Struga

$125 14.4%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 80.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Struga

$106 12.3%

Bucharest

$134 10% 26% $28

Getting Around

Struga

$61 7.1%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 54% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Struga

$34 4%

Bucharest

$67 5% 93.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Struga and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 53% 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: $30.00 in Struga vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $225 per month, with Struga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Struga

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

1 h ahead of Struga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,000

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Struga Bucharest 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Struga
Bucharest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Struga vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Struga and Bucharest differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($867 vs $1,340 including rent). Struga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Bucharest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $269 in Struga versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $867 per month in Struga versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Struga runs roughly 154% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $867 in Struga versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Struga 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, Struga and Bucharest 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.