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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,349 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,263 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,177 in Sarande.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than in Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sarande is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$10.27 ALL 814

71.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$55.9 ALL 4,430

12.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$11.16 ALL 885

3.76%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.31 ALL 184

34.20%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.46 ALL 195

1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.15 ALL 91.3

51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.71 ALL 294

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.17 ALL 330

-17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.32 ALL 184

-50.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.27 ALL 101

50.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.39 ALL 190

-37.24%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.89 ALL 308

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$13.55 ALL 1,074

-1.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.45 ALL 750

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$17.48 ALL 1,386

3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.03 ALL 161

15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.58 ALL 204

-32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.16 ALL 171

-14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.95 ALL 155

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.04 ALL 82.4

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.28 ALL 102

64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.44 ALL 114

3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.82 ALL 64.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$5.06 ALL 401

40.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.33 ALL 581

-19.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.74 ALL 138

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.14 ALL 170

-0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.15 ALL 91.0

105.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$22.68 ALL 1,798

105.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.80 ALL 301

7.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.70 ALL 294

-69.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$18.95 ALL 1,503

-9.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.24 ALL 178

3.12%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

-1.13%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$28.5K ALL 2.3M

45.26%

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

$169 €147

$102 ALL 8,100

65.00%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$19.14 ALL 1,518

0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$21.16 ALL 1,678

58.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$91.1 ALL 7,227

-46.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$41.85 ALL 3,318

-53.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$9.96 ALL 790

-3.92%

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

$696 €606

$307 ALL 24.4K

126.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$8,180 ALL 648.6K

112.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$71.4 ALL 5,664

47.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$47.52 ALL 3,768

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$123 ALL 9,756

-18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$117 ALL 9,266

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$878 ALL 69.6K

89.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$385 ALL 30.5K

223.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$1,142 ALL 90.5K

159.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$939 ALL 74.4K

118.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$4,660 ALL 369.5K

68.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$2,954 ALL 234.2K

51.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$796 ALL 63.1K

105.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.64

-32.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sarande: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $878 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 105% 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 $56.0 in Sarande. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $294, 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 70% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,349 including rent). Sarande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $878 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $307 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,349 in Sarande versus $2,296 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 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.