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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $963 in Sabac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,435 in Sabac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,908 in Sabac.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 138% more expensive than in Sabac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sabac is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.09 RSD 930

78.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$26.46 RSD 2,707

139.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.89 RSD 1,012

4.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.52 RSD 155

86.18%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.76 RSD 180

30.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.15 RSD 117

37.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.42 RSD 247

40.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.11 RSD 216

91.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.39 RSD 142

-21.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.61 RSD 62.0

186.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.00 RSD 205

-12.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.17 RSD 222

46.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.31 RSD 748

80.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.63 RSD 678

20.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.00 RSD 1,125

41.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.29 RSD 132

83.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.90 RSD 195

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.71 RSD 175

17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.26 RSD 231

7.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.11 RSD 114

58.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.27 RSD 129

59.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.10 RSD 113

74.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.45 RSD 45.73

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.08 RSD 418

61.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.94 RSD 608

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.67 RSD 68.4

98.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.11 RSD 216

40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.98 RSD 101

132.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$25.87 RSD 2,647

77.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.08 RSD 111

291.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.42 RSD 43.34

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$4.95 RSD 507

272.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.81 RSD 186

14.92%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

12.40%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$27.1K RSD 2.8M

44.70%

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

$148 €130

$155 RSD 15.9K

-4.69%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$19.51 RSD 1,996

4.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$24.31 RSD 2,487

62.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$23.62 RSD 2,416

103.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$11.68 RSD 1,195

59.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.53 RSD 668

41.19%

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

$616 €539

$182 RSD 18.6K

238.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,019 RSD 411.2K

309.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$63.3 RSD 6,479

62.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$56.7 RSD 5,795

-26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$117 RSD 12.0K

-18.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$122 RSD 12.5K

-0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$234 RSD 23.9K

598.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$176 RSD 18.0K

599.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$352 RSD 36.0K

780.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$267 RSD 27.3K

660.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,876 RSD 191.9K

317.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,533 RSD 156.8K

186.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$966 RSD 98.8K

66.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-52.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sabac: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $234 in Sabac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 66% 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 $26.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $196 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 138% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $963 including rent). Sabac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $234 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $182 in Sabac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $963 in Sabac versus $2,291 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 138% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.