Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Novi Sad Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Novi Sad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,448 in Novi Sad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,190 in Novi Sad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,932 in Novi Sad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 59% more expensive than in Novi Sad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Novi Sad 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$11.00 RSD 1,115

59.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$52.2 RSD 5,285

20.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$12.66 RSD 1,283

-8.53%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.78 RSD 282

11.51%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.45 RSD 248

1.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.95 RSD 198

-10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.91 RSD 295

19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.87 RSD 393

-11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.44 RSD 146

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.98 RSD 99.8

94.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.87 RSD 291

-47.74%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.64 RSD 268

50.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$14.02 RSD 1,421

-5.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.45 RSD 756

7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.44 RSD 1,463

24.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.79 RSD 181

31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.01 RSD 203

-12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.72 RSD 174

7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.64 RSD 268

-3.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.04 RSD 105

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.71 RSD 72.0

195.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.99 RSD 100

50.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.74 RSD 75.4

10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.01 RSD 507

41.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.71 RSD 781

-23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.96 RSD 97.4

36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.37 RSD 240

-10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.00 RSD 101

136.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$25.20 RSD 2,554

85.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.38 RSD 241

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.91 RSD 92.1

25.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$10.64 RSD 1,078

60.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.91 RSD 193

20.94%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$31.3K RSD 3.2M

8.96%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$27.3K RSD 2.8M

51.79%

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

$169 €147

$238 RSD 24.1K

-29.20%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$20.83 RSD 2,111

-7.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$34.96 RSD 3,543

-4.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$38.58 RSD 3,910

26.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$11.66 RSD 1,182

66.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.59 RSD 769

26.09%

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

$696 €607

$381 RSD 38.6K

82.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,861 RSD 796.6K

120.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$122 RSD 12.3K

-13.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$45.96 RSD 4,658

3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$142 RSD 14.4K

-29.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$142 RSD 14.4K

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$505 RSD 51.2K

228.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$421 RSD 42.6K

196.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$999 RSD 101.3K

196.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$798 RSD 80.9K

156.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$3,682 RSD 373.2K

112.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,696 RSD 273.3K

65.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,225 RSD 124.2K

33.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.23

-27.72%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $505 in Novi Sad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 33% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $52.0 in Novi Sad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $252 per month, with Novi Sad 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 Novi Sad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Novi Sad differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,448 including rent). Novi Sad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $505 in Novi Sad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $381 in Novi Sad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,448 in Novi Sad versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Novi Sad but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Novi Sad 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 Novi Sad 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 Novi Sad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.