Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sandanski Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sandanski

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $954 in Sandanski.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,533 in Sandanski.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,112 in Sandanski.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 132% more expensive than Sandanski, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Sandanski is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$8.71 BGN 14.49

81.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$46.81 BGN 77.9

33.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$8.79 BGN 14.62

19.91%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.37 BGN 3.94

16.88%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.43 BGN 2.38

59.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.92 BGN 1.52

68.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.86 BGN 4.76

24.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.02 BGN 5.02

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.81 BGN 3.01

-40.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.05 BGN 1.75

68.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.15 BGN 3.57

-17.67%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$3.15 BGN 5.24

-0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$11.80 BGN 19.63

13.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$7.88 BGN 13.10

1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$12.27 BGN 20.41

29.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.58 BGN 2.63

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.77 BGN 2.94

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.68 BGN 2.79

17.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.74 BGN 2.90

40.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.03 BGN 1.71

71.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.15 BGN 1.91

71.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.05 BGN 1.75

87.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.83 BGN 1.39

-3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$3.61 BGN 6.00

81.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$5.86 BGN 9.75

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.98 BGN 1.64

34.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.39 BGN 2.31

115.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.86 BGN 1.44

172.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$26.91 BGN 44.76

70.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.17 BGN 1.95

264.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.61 BGN 1.01

37.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$10.65 BGN 17.73

77.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.50 BGN 2.50

38.00%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$32.1K BGN 53.5K

9.64%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$28.6K BGN 47.6K

35.04%

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

$151 €130

$96.9 BGN 161

56.05%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$17.52 BGN 29.15

19.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$14.88 BGN 24.76

165.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$29.51 BGN 49.09

63.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$14.64 BGN 24.36

27.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$8.96 BGN 14.90

0.89%

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

$610 €525

$416 BGN 691

46.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,508 BGN 9,163

195.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$59.7 BGN 99.3

69.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$35.22 BGN 58.6

15.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$98.2 BGN 163

-5.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$105 BGN 175

12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$287 BGN 477

459.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$235 BGN 392

426.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$470 BGN 783

541.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$355 BGN 590

481.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,364 BGN 2,269

485.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,105 BGN 1,838

310.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$588 BGN 978

176.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.49

-15.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sandanski: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $287 in Sandanski. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 177% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Sandanski for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $234 per month, with Sandanski 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 Sandanski: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sandanski differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $954 including rent). Sandanski is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 177% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $287 in Sandanski. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $416 in Sandanski. 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 $954 in Sandanski versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandanski but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sandanski 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 Sandanski 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 Sandanski gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.