Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Struga and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $861 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Struga, North Macedonia
Lisbon, Portugal
Struga
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$861
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Struga and in Lisbon

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 Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Struga versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Struga $861
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,317 in Struga versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Struga $1,317
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,772 in Struga versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Struga $1,772
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Struga costs roughly 61% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Struga is 37% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.12 MKD 391
$16.65 €14.92
-57.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.20 MKD 1,606
$61.7 €55.3
-52.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.43 MKD 299
$11.36 €10.18
-52.20%
Cappuccino
$1.56 MKD 85.9
$2.97 €2.66
-47.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 MKD 100
$2.29 €2.05
-20.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 MKD 65.8
$1.74 €1.56
-31.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.68 MKD 148
$3.40 €3.05
-21.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 MKD 166
$3.31 €2.97
-8.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 MKD 67.5
$1.16 €1.04
6.03%
White Bread (500g)
$0.73 MKD 40.01
$1.91 €1.71
-61.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 MKD 88.8
$1.51 €1.36
7.28%
Eggs
$1.96 MKD 108
$4.02 €3.60
-51.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.41 MKD 408
$12.94 €11.59
-42.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.24 MKD 343
$7.77 €6.97
-19.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.68 MKD 697
$17.76 €15.92
-28.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.47 MKD 81.1
$2.30 €2.06
-36.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 MKD 74.4
$1.73 €1.55
-21.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.25 MKD 68.7
$1.86 €1.66
-32.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 MKD 84.7
$2.59 €2.32
-40.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.89 MKD 49.03
$1.82 €1.63
-51.10%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 MKD 46.50
$1.97 €1.76
-56.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 MKD 32.64
$1.47 €1.32
-59.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 MKD 30.24
$0.72 €0.65
-23.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.50 MKD 193
$6.58 €5.90
-46.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.65 MKD 256
$5.61 €5.02
-17.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 MKD 58.5
$1.36 €1.22
-22.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 MKD 78.0
$2.14 €1.91
-33.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 MKD 48.66
$2.33 €2.09
-62.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.3 MKD 3,044
$44.68 €40.04
23.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.07 MKD 58.7
$3.85 €3.45
-72.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 MKD 33.28
$1.07 €0.96
-42.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.01 MKD 276
$16.46 €14.75
-69.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 MKD 78.6
$2.20 €1.97
-35.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K MKD 1.8M
$34.2K €30.6K
-3.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K MKD 1.4M
$38.7K €34.7K
-33.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$100 MKD 5,507
$161 €144
-37.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.81 MKD 595
$18.41 €16.50
-41.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 MKD 1,040
$32.74 €29.34
-42.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.03 MKD 1,102
$44.55 €39.92
-55.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.44 MKD 629
$19.10 €17.11
-40.10%
Cinema Ticket
$7.46 MKD 410
$9.60 €8.60
-22.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$118 MKD 6,501
$668 €598
-82.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,583 MKD 87.1K
$17.6K €15.8K
-91.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.7 MKD 4,713
$102 €91.4
-16.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.08 MKD 1,709
$44.46 €39.85
-30.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.0 MKD 3,905
$98.5 €88.3
-27.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.5 MKD 2,888
$124 €111
-57.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$278 MKD 15.3K
$1,608 €1,441
-82.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$217 MKD 12.0K
$1,190 €1,066
-81.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$441 MKD 24.3K
$2,812 €2,520
-84.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$356 MKD 19.6K
$2,013 €1,804
-82.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,544 MKD 84.9K
$7,839 €7,025
-80.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,364 MKD 75.0K
$4,576 €4,100
-70.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Struga
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$852 MKD 46.9K
$1,575 €1,411
-45.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.75
3.85
-2.60%

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

Last update for Struga: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Struga
$217
Lisbon
$1.2K 448% $973
Groceries & Markets
Struga
$184
Lisbon
$272 47.7% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Struga
$130
Lisbon
$212 63.5% $83
Eating Out
Struga
$124
Lisbon
$243 96.4% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Struga
$108
Lisbon
$166 53.4% $58
Getting Around
Struga
$63
Lisbon
$63 0.4% $0.2
Sport & Entertainment
Struga
$35
Lisbon
$64 82.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Struga and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 85% 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: $29 in Struga vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $272 per month, with Struga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇰 Struga
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
01:57 1:57 AM
00:57 12:57 AM
1 h behind Struga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Struga Lisbon 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Struga
  • Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Struga and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $861 in Struga and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Struga is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Struga. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Struga and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Struga versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Struga and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $118 in Struga versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $861 in Struga versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Struga but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Struga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Struga and Lisbon?
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.
Is Struga or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Struga and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Struga and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Struga wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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