Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $770 in Veles versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,144 in Veles versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,517 in Veles versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Veles costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Veles is 43% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 MKD 306

$17.58 €15.12

-67.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.89 MKD 996

$68.4 €58.9

-72.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 MKD 270

$14.06 €12.09

-63.58%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MKD 83.6

$2.78 €2.39

-42.81%

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

$1.32 MKD 69.3

$2.80 €2.41

-52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MKD 44.50

$2.06 €1.78

-59.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 MKD 77.7

$4.46 €3.84

-67.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 MKD 139

$4.61 €3.96

-42.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 MKD 55.2

$1.24 €1.07

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MKD 28.91

$2.03 €1.74

-72.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MKD 78.3

$1.92 €1.65

-22.40%

Eggs

$2.09 MKD 110

$3.31 €2.85

-36.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.10 MKD 163

$18.43 €15.85

-83.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 MKD 214

$9.49 €8.16

-57.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MKD 707

$19.16 €16.48

-29.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.1

$2.64 €2.27

-59.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MKD 73.7

$2.45 €2.11

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MKD 65.9

$2.12 €1.82

-41.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MKD 83.8

$2.85 €2.45

-44.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MKD 52.0

$2.04 €1.75

-51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 MKD 73.8

$1.85 €1.59

-24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MKD 30.27

$1.47 €1.26

-61.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MKD 27.78

$0.84 €0.73

-36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 MKD 160

$7.14 €6.14

-57.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 MKD 342

$7.88 €6.78

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MKD 53.6

$1.38 €1.19

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 MKD 98.1

$2.31 €1.99

-19.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MKD 35.52

$2.98 €2.56

-77.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 MKD 2,638

$29.26 €25.17

71.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 58.0

$4.60 €3.95

-76.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.71

$2.07 €1.78

-76.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 MKD 343

$29.18 €25.10

-77.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MKD 75.6

$1.84 €1.58

-22.28%

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

$27.2K MKD 1.4M

$39.0K €33.6K

-30.21%

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

$24.9K MKD 1.3M

$32.7K €28.1K

-23.97%

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

$116 MKD 6,111

$188 €162

-38.26%

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

$17.27 MKD 910

$22.93 €19.73

-24.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.28 MKD 647

$36.71 €31.58

-66.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.78 MKD 1,359

$57.4 €49.35

-55.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.86 MKD 98.2

$20.70 €17.80

-91.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.36 MKD 177

$11.19 €9.63

-69.97%

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

$218 MKD 11.5K

$721 €620

-69.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,216 MKD 64.1K

$15.0K €12.9K

-91.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.63 MKD 1,193

$86.2 €74.2

-73.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.03 MKD 1,003

$37.07 €31.89

-48.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 MKD 3,968

$102 €87.8

-26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 5,981

$116 €99.7

-2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 MKD 11.6K

$1,534 €1,319

-85.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MKD 9,198

$1,220 €1,050

-85.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 MKD 15.4K

$2,696 €2,319

-89.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 MKD 12.5K

$2,013 €1,732

-88.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,239 MKD 65.3K

$7,220 €6,211

-82.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 MKD 50.2K

$5,189 €4,463

-81.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 MKD 31.9K

$2,359 €2,029

-74.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

3.39

109.44%

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

Last update for Veles: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $220 in Veles and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 290% 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: $19.00 in Veles vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $318 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

Veles vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veles and Barcelona differ by about 207% in total monthly costs ($770 vs $2,367 including rent). Veles is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 290% less. 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: $220 in Veles versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Veles versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $770 in Veles versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Veles but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Veles and Barcelona 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 207% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.