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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,067 in Sandanski.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,665 in Sandanski.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,262 in Sandanski.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 118% more expensive than in Sandanski, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sandanski is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$9.49 BGN 15.79

80.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$46.71 BGN 77.7

37.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$8.84 BGN 14.71

32.47%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$2.83 BGN 4.71

10.95%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.67 BGN 2.77

50.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.60 BGN 2.67

3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.60 BGN 4.33

35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$4.25 BGN 7.07

-20.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.82 BGN 3.02

-36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.15 BGN 1.92

75.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$2.27 BGN 3.78

-30.40%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$3.19 BGN 5.31

26.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$12.13 BGN 20.18

5.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$8.42 BGN 14.00

-4.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$15.29 BGN 25.44

11.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.70 BGN 2.82

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.94 BGN 3.23

-5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.97 BGN 3.28

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.74 BGN 2.90

53.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.08 BGN 1.80

75.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.07 BGN 1.78

84.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.25 BGN 2.07

14.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.79 BGN 1.32

15.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$4.04 BGN 6.72

68.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$6.41 BGN 10.66

-10.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.97 BGN 1.61

37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.44 BGN 2.39

47.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.94 BGN 1.57

155.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$24.68 BGN 41.06

86.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$1.38 BGN 2.29

207.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.65 BGN 1.08

70.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$10.86 BGN 18.06

65.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.56 BGN 2.60

41.03%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$30.6K BGN 50.9K

15.06%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$25.3K BGN 42.2K

57.98%

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

$171 €146

$117 BGN 194

46.43%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$19.74 BGN 32.84

-0.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$15.80 BGN 26.29

110.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$32.74 BGN 54.5

46.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$18.69 BGN 31.10

6.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$9.36 BGN 15.57

8.12%

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

$700 €599

$539 BGN 896

29.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$5,750 BGN 9,565

201.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$70.3 BGN 117

55.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$43.80 BGN 72.9

9.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$98.6 BGN 164

7.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$109 BGN 181

16.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$345 BGN 574

395.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$265 BGN 441

377.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$562 BGN 935

428.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$408 BGN 679

389.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$1,345 BGN 2,237

495.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$1,131 BGN 1,882

300.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$588 BGN 978

182.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.1

20.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Sandanski: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $345 in Sandanski. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 183% 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 $277 vs $253 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 118% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,067 including rent). Sandanski is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 183% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $345 in Sandanski. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $539 in Sandanski. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,067 in Sandanski versus $2,322 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 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.