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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,298 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,205 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,113 in Sarande.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 72% more expensive than Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Sarande is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$11.84 ALL 967

36.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$58.1 ALL 4,740

11.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$9.69 ALL 791

7.12%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.07 ALL 169

33.82%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.83 ALL 150

22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.97 ALL 78.9

61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.98 ALL 243

17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.47 ALL 283

15.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.04 ALL 167

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.13 ALL 92.5

53.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.17 ALL 177

-19.82%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.98 ALL 325

-20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$12.87 ALL 1,051

4.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.82 ALL 638

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$15.86 ALL 1,295

1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.72 ALL 140

32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.69 ALL 219

-36.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.98 ALL 162

-2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.98 ALL 162

28.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.31 ALL 107

39.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.29 ALL 105

58.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.50 ALL 122

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.75 ALL 61.4

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.30 ALL 351

59.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$6.58 ALL 537

-12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.60 ALL 131

-14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.12 ALL 173

36.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.13 ALL 92.1

101.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$23.33 ALL 1,905

100.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.51 ALL 287

16.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.22 ALL 263

-74.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$17.75 ALL 1,449

2.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$2.07 ALL 169

-2.90%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

0.61%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

31.76%

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

$145 €124

$102 ALL 8,316

42.76%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$18.05 ALL 1,474

16.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$18.11 ALL 1,479

121.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$89.7 ALL 7,327

-45.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$41.29 ALL 3,371

-54.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$9.58 ALL 782

-5.43%

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

$607 €519

$292 ALL 23.8K

108.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,563 ALL 454.2K

193.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$67.7 ALL 5,525

54.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$50.2 ALL 4,099

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$109 ALL 8,925

-14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$130 ALL 10.6K

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$884 ALL 72.1K

81.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$381 ALL 31.1K

224.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,096 ALL 89.5K

177.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$950 ALL 77.5K

116.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,737 ALL 386.8K

62.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$2,954 ALL 241.2K

44.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$785 ALL 64.1K

101.74%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sarande: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $884 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 102% 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 $58.0 in Sarande. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $271, 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 72% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,298 including rent). Sarande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 102% 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 $884 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $292 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,298 in Sarande versus $2,227 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 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.