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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,405 in Novi Sad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,094 in Novi Sad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,782 in Novi Sad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 61% more expensive than Novi Sad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Novi Sad 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.59 RSD 970

66.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$48.50 RSD 4,905

30.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$10.97 RSD 1,109

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.26 RSD 229

23.45%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.13 RSD 215

9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.71 RSD 173

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.88 RSD 291

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.64 RSD 368

7.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.56 RSD 158

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.99 RSD 100

78.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.81 RSD 284

-39.15%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.56 RSD 259

23.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$11.92 RSD 1,205

14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.79 RSD 687

17.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$12.37 RSD 1,251

25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.24 RSD 126

84.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.92 RSD 194

-14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.63 RSD 165

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.47 RSD 250

1.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.99 RSD 101

80.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.92 RSD 93.3

118.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.76 RSD 77.2

159.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.68 RSD 69.0

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.46 RSD 451

52.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.79 RSD 788

-27.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.84 RSD 84.9

65.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.15 RSD 218

40.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.01 RSD 102

124.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$24.83 RSD 2,511

83.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.92 RSD 194

123.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.65 RSD 65.7

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$9.76 RSD 987

87.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.82 RSD 184

9.34%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$31.0K RSD 3.1M

12.89%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$28.6K RSD 2.9M

38.39%

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

$146 €126

$207 RSD 20.9K

-29.31%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$19.65 RSD 1,987

4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$35.46 RSD 3,586

9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$36.41 RSD 3,683

34.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$13.99 RSD 1,415

34.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.99 RSD 606

58.93%

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

$608 €524

$346 RSD 35.0K

75.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$7,231 RSD 731.2K

128.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$107 RSD 10.9K

-3.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$46.50 RSD 4,702

-9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$122 RSD 12.3K

-24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$137 RSD 13.9K

-12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$562 RSD 56.8K

188.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$460 RSD 46.6K

175.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,085 RSD 109.7K

181.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$788 RSD 79.7K

154.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$3,691 RSD 373.2K

107.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,697 RSD 272.7K

60.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,046 RSD 105.8K

51.56%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Novi Sad: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $562 in Novi Sad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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 $269 vs $231 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 61% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,405 including rent). Novi Sad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 52% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $562 in Novi Sad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $346 in Novi Sad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,405 in Novi Sad versus $2,263 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 61% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.