Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarajevo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarajevo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,206 in Sarajevo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,811 in Sarajevo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,416 in Sarajevo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 83% more expensive than Sarajevo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sarajevo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$7.21 BAM 12.11

120.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$35.65 BAM 59.9

81.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.96 BAM 15.05

17.30%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.04 BAM 3.42

40.69%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.01 BAM 3.38

11.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.42 BAM 2.38

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.69 BAM 4.52

29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.32 BAM 3.90

67.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.43 BAM 2.40

-20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.21 BAM 2.03

44.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.08 BAM 3.50

-15.38%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.24 BAM 5.45

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.29 BAM 17.29

31.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.86 BAM 14.88

-10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$13.44 BAM 22.58

18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.55 BAM 2.60

49.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.87 BAM 3.15

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.05 BAM 3.44

-1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.29 BAM 3.84

7.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.12 BAM 1.88

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.20 BAM 2.02

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.22 BAM 2.06

58.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.76 BAM 1.27

3.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.76 BAM 6.33

75.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.33 BAM 13.99

-31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.04 BAM 1.75

31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.31 BAM 2.21

126.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.08 BAM 1.82

119.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$31.31 BAM 52.6

45.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.44 BAM 2.42

197.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.78 BAM 1.31

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$9.08 BAM 15.25

101.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.52 BAM 2.55

35.53%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

28.17%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

51.61%

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

$148 €127

$197 BAM 331

-24.89%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.00 BAM 31.92

8.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$33.37 BAM 56.1

18.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$35.64 BAM 59.9

34.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.44 BAM 27.62

15.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.94 BAM 11.67

32.28%

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

$614 €528

$255 BAM 428

141.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,323 BAM 5,583

382.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$91.3 BAM 153

14.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$36.66 BAM 61.6

14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$108 BAM 182

-13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$99.9 BAM 168

19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$432 BAM 726

276.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$313 BAM 526

301.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$877 BAM 1,474

245.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$600 BAM 1,008

236.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,430 BAM 5,762

127.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,383 BAM 4,003

79.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,064 BAM 1,788

50.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.8

0.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $432 in Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 51% 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 $36.00 in Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $246 per month, with Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sarajevo differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,206 including rent). Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 51% 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 $432 in Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $255 in Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.