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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $931 in Sabac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,397 in Sabac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,863 in Sabac.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 137% more expensive than Sabac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sabac is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.74 RSD 879

82.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$26.81 RSD 2,696

141.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.90 RSD 995

6.16%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.46 RSD 147

96.58%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.81 RSD 182

23.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.21 RSD 121

23.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.30 RSD 232

51.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.01 RSD 202

93.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.37 RSD 138

-16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.64 RSD 64.7

173.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.97 RSD 198

-10.66%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.20 RSD 222

46.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.31 RSD 735

84.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.70 RSD 674

18.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.77 RSD 1,083

47.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.35 RSD 136

71.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.87 RSD 188

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.70 RSD 171

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.24 RSD 226

9.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.12 RSD 113

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.20 RSD 120

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.05 RSD 105

83.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.45 RSD 45.06

75.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.98 RSD 400

66.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.27 RSD 630

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.70 RSD 70.8

95.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.10 RSD 211

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.98 RSD 98.2

141.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.03 RSD 104

316.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.46 RSD 45.85

78.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.00 RSD 503

266.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.82 RSD 183

13.19%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$30.6K RSD 3.1M

12.14%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.8K RSD 2.7M

46.66%

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

$148 €127

$158 RSD 15.9K

-6.25%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.47 RSD 1,958

5.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$24.25 RSD 2,439

63.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$23.52 RSD 2,366

103.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$11.76 RSD 1,183

60.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.57 RSD 661

39.73%

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

$614 €528

$184 RSD 18.5K

233.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,977 RSD 400.0K

303.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$62.5 RSD 6,288

67.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$56.4 RSD 5,669

-25.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$120 RSD 12.0K

-21.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$122 RSD 12.3K

-2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$232 RSD 23.4K

600.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$178 RSD 17.9K

605.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$355 RSD 35.7K

754.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$267 RSD 26.8K

658.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,917 RSD 192.8K

306.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,562 RSD 157.1K

173.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$997 RSD 100.2K

60.86%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sabac: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $232 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 137% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $931 including rent). Sabac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 61% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $232 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $931 in Sabac – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $931 in Sabac versus $2,210 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 137% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.