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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $967 in Sandanski.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,515 in Sandanski.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,063 in Sandanski.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 130% 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

$16.17 €13.84

$9.00 BGN 15.02

79.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$48.03 BGN 80.2

34.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.37 BGN 13.98

24.01%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.48 BGN 4.13

11.69%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.45 BGN 2.42

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.91 BGN 1.53

72.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.89 BGN 4.82

20.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.90 BGN 4.84

37.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.80 BGN 3.01

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.02 BGN 1.71

70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.18 BGN 3.63

-20.18%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.07 BGN 5.13

3.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$11.60 BGN 19.37

15.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.66 BGN 12.80

4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.94 BGN 19.94

34.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.58 BGN 2.64

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.70 BGN 2.83

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.64 BGN 2.74

18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.76 BGN 2.94

44.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.04 BGN 1.73

75.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.15 BGN 1.92

77.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.08 BGN 1.81

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.81 BGN 1.36

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.46 BGN 5.78

97.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.33 BGN 12.24

-21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.96 BGN 1.61

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.38 BGN 2.31

110.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.84 BGN 1.41

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$26.42 BGN 44.12

77.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.20 BGN 2.00

240.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.60 BGN 1.00

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$10.43 BGN 17.41

75.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.50 BGN 2.50

34.00%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$32.7K BGN 54.7K

7.75%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$28.6K BGN 47.8K

34.48%

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

$145 €124

$96.2 BGN 161

51.16%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$17.62 BGN 29.42

18.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$14.90 BGN 24.89

168.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$29.57 BGN 49.38

65.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$14.53 BGN 24.26

28.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$8.93 BGN 14.92

1.46%

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

$607 €519

$420 BGN 701

44.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,446 BGN 9,094

199.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$59.8 BGN 99.9

75.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$35.82 BGN 59.8

14.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$102 BGN 170

-8.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$107 BGN 179

10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$287 BGN 479

459.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$228 BGN 381

442.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$465 BGN 776

555.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$352 BGN 587

484.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,407 BGN 2,349

447.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,114 BGN 1,860

283.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$600 BGN 1,002

164.13%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sandanski: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $287 in Sandanski. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 164% 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 $48.00 in Sandanski for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $233 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $967 including rent). Sandanski is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 164% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $287 in Sandanski. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $420 in Sandanski. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $967 in Sandanski versus $2,227 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 130% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.