Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarande Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarande

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,275 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,196 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,118 in Sarande.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 78% more expensive than Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sarande is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$11.61 ALL 948

37.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$59.9 ALL 4,895

5.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.65 ALL 788

7.56%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.04 ALL 167

36.76%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.83 ALL 150

27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.98 ALL 80.0

60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.88 ALL 235

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.63 ALL 297

7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.07 ALL 169

-47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.14 ALL 93.0

55.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.15 ALL 175

-20.47%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.81 ALL 311

-17.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$13.18 ALL 1,077

3.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$7.96 ALL 651

0.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$15.64 ALL 1,277

-0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.78 ALL 145

28.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.80 ALL 229

-41.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.03 ALL 166

-4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.97 ALL 161

27.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.37 ALL 112

30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.29 ALL 105

55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.51 ALL 124

30.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.73 ALL 59.9

15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.31 ALL 352

57.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$6.67 ALL 545

-14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.65 ALL 135

-15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.08 ALL 170

45.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.14 ALL 92.8

99.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$22.90 ALL 1,871

98.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.55 ALL 290

20.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$3.07 ALL 251

-72.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$17.31 ALL 1,414

5.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.13 ALL 174

-6.57%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

0.23%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$28.7K ALL 2.3M

37.88%

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

$146 €126

$102 ALL 8,332

43.33%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$17.69 ALL 1,445

15.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$18.28 ALL 1,494

113.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$89.5 ALL 7,309

-45.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$41.51 ALL 3,392

-54.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$9.19 ALL 751

3.59%

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

$608 €524

$287 ALL 23.5K

111.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$5,483 ALL 447.9K

201.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$68.6 ALL 5,608

51.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$49.44 ALL 4,039

-14.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$107 ALL 8,742

-13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$131 ALL 10.7K

-8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$872 ALL 71.3K

85.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$379 ALL 31.0K

234.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,098 ALL 89.7K

177.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$959 ALL 78.3K

109.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$4,643 ALL 379.4K

65.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,946 ALL 240.7K

46.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$768 ALL 62.8K

106.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.52

-30.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sarande: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $872 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 106% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $60.0 in Sarande. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $273, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sarande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sarande differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,275 including rent). Sarande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 106% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $872 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $287 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,275 in Sarande versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarande but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sarande 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 Sarande 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 Sarande gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.