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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,392 in Novi Sad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,077 in Novi Sad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,763 in Novi Sad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 64% more expensive than in Novi Sad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Novi Sad 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.58 RSD 975

64.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$48.59 RSD 4,942

30.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$11.04 RSD 1,123

-5.34%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.38 RSD 242

22.27%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.18 RSD 222

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.69 RSD 172

-11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.90 RSD 295

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.64 RSD 371

8.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.54 RSD 157

-29.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.03 RSD 105

70.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.69 RSD 274

-36.80%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.58 RSD 262

25.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$11.94 RSD 1,214

10.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$7.05 RSD 718

9.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$12.77 RSD 1,299

23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.24 RSD 126

83.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.90 RSD 193

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.64 RSD 167

23.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.54 RSD 258

-2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.93 RSD 94.2

92.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.88 RSD 89.3

135.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.80 RSD 81.5

146.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.69 RSD 69.9

20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.33 RSD 440

51.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.57 RSD 770

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.86 RSD 87.5

54.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.22 RSD 225

35.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.04 RSD 105

118.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$25.11 RSD 2,553

84.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.98 RSD 201

113.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.67 RSD 68.3

26.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$9.30 RSD 946

102.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.82 RSD 185

10.99%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$31.0K RSD 3.1M

12.93%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$28.9K RSD 2.9M

37.07%

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

$148 €128

$208 RSD 21.1K

-28.72%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$19.88 RSD 2,022

3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$36.00 RSD 3,662

9.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$35.49 RSD 3,609

35.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$14.00 RSD 1,424

31.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$6.24 RSD 634

45.83%

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

$615 €532

$339 RSD 34.5K

81.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$7,130 RSD 725.1K

128.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$107 RSD 10.9K

-5.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$45.86 RSD 4,664

-8.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$123 RSD 12.5K

-24.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$135 RSD 13.8K

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$567 RSD 57.6K

184.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$457 RSD 46.5K

174.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,096 RSD 111.5K

180.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$790 RSD 80.4K

157.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$3,667 RSD 372.9K

111.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$2,713 RSD 276.0K

57.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,063 RSD 108.1K

50.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.31

-47.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $567 in Novi Sad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 51% 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 $49.00 in Novi Sad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $233 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 64% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,392 including rent). Novi Sad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $567 in Novi Sad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $339 in Novi Sad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,392 in Novi Sad versus $2,280 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 64% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.