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: $2,294 in Lisbon versus $1,029 in Sandanski.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,299 in Lisbon versus $1,639 in Sandanski.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,305 in Lisbon versus $2,249 in Sandanski.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 123% more expensive than in Sandanski, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 70% above, Sandanski is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €15.19

$9.47 BGN 16.47

80.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €56.5

$46.88 BGN 81.6

35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 €9.91

$9.58 BGN 16.68

16.39%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.79

$2.83 BGN 4.93

10.95%

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

$2.41 €2.14

$1.63 BGN 2.83

47.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.58 BGN 2.75

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 €2.97

$2.60 BGN 4.52

28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €3.00

$3.99 BGN 6.93

-15.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.70 BGN 2.95

-30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.14 BGN 1.98

69.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.28 BGN 3.97

-31.58%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.53

$3.04 BGN 5.28

30.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 €11.71

$11.85 BGN 20.61

11.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €7.02

$8.61 BGN 14.98

-8.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.72 €15.74

$14.39 BGN 25.03

23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.72 BGN 3.00

34.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.91 BGN 3.32

-6.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.03 BGN 3.53

-7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.73 BGN 3.01

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.08 BGN 1.89

67.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.10 BGN 1.92

87.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.24 BGN 2.16

15.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$0.80 BGN 1.38

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$3.98 BGN 6.92

74.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$6.43 BGN 11.19

-12.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.19

$0.95 BGN 1.65

41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.86

$1.42 BGN 2.48

47.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.10

$0.99 BGN 1.72

138.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.07 €40.04

$27.00 BGN 46.99

66.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 €3.60

$1.31 BGN 2.28

209.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.66 BGN 1.14

63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.83 €14.95

$10.64 BGN 18.51

58.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.48 BGN 2.57

53.38%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

11.41%

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

$40.3K €35.8K

$25.6K BGN 44.6K

57.38%

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

$168 €149

$115 BGN 200

45.72%

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

$18.60 €16.53

$18.79 BGN 32.70

-1.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.48 €28.86

$15.79 BGN 27.47

105.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.68 €43.24

$31.61 BGN 55.0

54.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 €17.00

$18.96 BGN 32.99

0.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.45

$9.04 BGN 15.73

5.31%

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

$689 €612

$525 BGN 913

31.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.6K

$5,637 BGN 9,808

210.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$68.7 BGN 120

50.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.32 €42.03

$43.18 BGN 75.1

9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 €87.7

$96.4 BGN 168

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €107

$104 BGN 181

16.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 €1,443

$334 BGN 581

386.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 €1,073

$255 BGN 444

373.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,824 €2,508

$547 BGN 952

416.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,771

$407 BGN 707

390.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,944 €7,057

$1,368 BGN 2,380

480.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,501 €3,999

$1,098 BGN 1,911

309.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,604 €1,425

$590 BGN 1,027

171.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.1

21.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 28, 2026

Last update for Sandanski: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Lisbon and $334 in Sandanski. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 172% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Sandanski for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $249 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 123% in total monthly costs ($2,294 vs $1,029 including rent). Sandanski is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 172% 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: $1,625 in Lisbon versus $334 in Sandanski. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $689 in Lisbon versus $525 in Sandanski. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,029 in Sandanski versus $2,294 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 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.