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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,306 in Sarande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,185 in Sarande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,065 in Sarande.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 75% more expensive than in Sarande, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sarande is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$11.88 ALL 965

32.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$58.4 ALL 4,743

8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.46 ALL 769

10.47%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.03 ALL 165

43.35%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.91 ALL 155

19.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.93 ALL 75.2

61.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.92 ALL 237

21.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.61 ALL 293

9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.06 ALL 167

-47.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.08 ALL 88.1

62.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.19 ALL 178

-22.37%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.83 ALL 311

-15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$13.06 ALL 1,061

1.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$7.80 ALL 634

-1.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$15.53 ALL 1,262

1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.78 ALL 144

28.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.73 ALL 222

-39.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.99 ALL 162

1.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.00 ALL 162

23.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.32 ALL 108

35.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.27 ALL 103

62.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.52 ALL 124

29.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.78 ALL 63.6

6.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.29 ALL 349

52.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.51 ALL 529

-14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.58 ALL 129

-15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.13 ALL 173

41.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.13 ALL 92.0

100.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$23.21 ALL 1,885

99.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.63 ALL 295

16.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$3.17 ALL 257

-73.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$17.38 ALL 1,412

8.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.05 ALL 167

-1.46%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$34.3K ALL 2.8M

1.92%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$29.4K ALL 2.4M

35.06%

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

$148 €128

$101 ALL 8,166

47.18%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$17.75 ALL 1,442

15.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$18.79 ALL 1,526

110.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$89.2 ALL 7,249

-46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$41.95 ALL 3,408

-56.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.56 ALL 777

-4.81%

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

$615 €532

$294 ALL 23.9K

108.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,526 ALL 449.0K

194.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$68.6 ALL 5,571

48.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$50.8 ALL 4,130

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$108 ALL 8,795

-14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$129 ALL 10.5K

-5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$871 ALL 70.8K

85.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$386 ALL 31.3K

225.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,116 ALL 90.7K

174.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$931 ALL 75.6K

118.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,516 ALL 366.9K

71.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$2,843 ALL 231.0K

50.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$769 ALL 62.5K

108.27%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sarande: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $871 in Sarande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 108% 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 $58.0 in Sarande. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 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 75% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,306 including rent). Sarande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 108% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $871 in Sarande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $294 in Sarande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,306 in Sarande versus $2,280 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 75% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.