Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sabac Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sabac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $865 in Sabac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,319 in Sabac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,774 in Sabac.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 168% more expensive than in Sabac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sabac is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$8.32 RSD 841

107.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$28.46 RSD 2,876

122.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$6.76 RSD 683

68.49%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.04 RSD 207

56.37%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.91 RSD 193

28.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.44 RSD 146

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$2.74 RSD 277

31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$2.71 RSD 274

25.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.35 RSD 137

-8.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.65 RSD 65.5

204.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.91 RSD 193

-20.42%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$2.04 RSD 206

98.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$6.14 RSD 621

120.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$6.78 RSD 685

23.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$12.05 RSD 1,217

51.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.28 RSD 129

78.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.98 RSD 201

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.45 RSD 147

28.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.01 RSD 203

30.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.69 RSD 69.3

178.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.36 RSD 36.41

480.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.09 RSD 110

32.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.46 RSD 46.20

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$3.67 RSD 371

84.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$8.17 RSD 826

-30.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.71 RSD 72.1

94.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.03 RSD 104

115.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.08 RSD 109

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$1.52 RSD 154

174.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.97 RSD 97.8

17.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$5.38 RSD 543

228.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.88 RSD 190

23.40%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$32.1K RSD 3.2M

10.23%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$26.6K RSD 2.7M

55.96%

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

$170 €147

$144 RSD 14.5K

18.34%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$26.69 RSD 2,697

-27.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$19.95 RSD 2,017

68.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$30.69 RSD 3,102

56.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$14.00 RSD 1,415

42.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$5.86 RSD 592

69.28%

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

$717 €619

$181 RSD 18.3K

296.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$4,009 RSD 405.2K

335.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$63.3 RSD 6,395

65.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$67.9 RSD 6,858

-30.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$60.7 RSD 6,134

70.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$124 RSD 12.5K

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$241 RSD 24.4K

595.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$157 RSD 15.9K

708.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$358 RSD 36.2K

733.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$269 RSD 27.2K

639.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$1,970 RSD 199.1K

297.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$1,556 RSD 157.3K

199.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$983 RSD 99.4K

60.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.84

-21.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sabac: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $241 in Sabac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 61% 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 $28.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $193 per month, with Sabac 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 Sabac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sabac differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $865 including rent). Sabac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $241 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $865 in Sabac – a 168% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $865 in Sabac versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sabac but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sabac 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 Sabac 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 Sabac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.