Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Subotica Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Subotica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Subotica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $1,670 in Subotica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,232 in Subotica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Subotica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Subotica is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.19

$9.35 RSD 974

81.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €56.0

$33.75 RSD 3,517

85.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.19

$11.18 RSD 1,165

2.15%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.76

$1.97 RSD 205

56.85%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$1.83 RSD 191

29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.71 RSD 178

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.09

$2.46 RSD 256

40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.87 RSD 299

14.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.41 RSD 146

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.10 RSD 115

70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.14 RSD 223

-28.97%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.46

$3.07 RSD 320

26.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.49

$12.08 RSD 1,258

6.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.08

$6.60 RSD 688

20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.73

$12.53 RSD 1,305

40.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.39 RSD 145

62.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.90 RSD 198

-7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.43 RSD 149

31.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.21

$2.21 RSD 230

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.03 RSD 108

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.59 RSD 61.6

250.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.58 RSD 60.8

139.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.61 RSD 63.9

32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.15

$4.17 RSD 435

65.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.93

$5.31 RSD 553

4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.82 RSD 85.8

62.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.28 RSD 238

-4.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.18 RSD 123

89.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.29

$34.36 RSD 3,580

31.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.57

$1.87 RSD 195

113.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.22 RSD 127

-12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.75

$10.85 RSD 1,131

52.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.77 RSD 184

27.68%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

8.77%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$25.1K RSD 2.6M

61.29%

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

$164 €146

$168 RSD 17.5K

-2.62%

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

$18.54 €16.55

$15.33 RSD 1,597

20.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.64

$37.29 RSD 3,886

-10.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €41.07

$33.13 RSD 3,452

38.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.78

$9.53 RSD 993

97.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.45

$4.74 RSD 494

99.79%

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

$690 €616

$238 RSD 24.8K

189.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.4

$42.70 RSD 4,450

145.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.41

$22.51 RSD 2,346

101.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €88.3

$91.4 RSD 9,519

8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$72.3 RSD 7,528

71.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,413

$417 RSD 43.5K

279.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,079

$297 RSD 31.0K

306.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,529

$602 RSD 62.7K

370.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,753

$547 RSD 57.0K

259.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,822

$2,449 RSD 255.1K

212.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,955

$1,601 RSD 166.8K

176.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,404

$894 RSD 93.2K

75.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.79

-20.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Subotica: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $417 in Subotica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 76% 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 $34.00 in Subotica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $221 per month, with Subotica 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 Subotica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Subotica differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $1,108 including rent). Subotica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $417 in Subotica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $690 in Lisbon versus $238 in Subotica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,108 in Subotica versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subotica but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Subotica 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 Subotica 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 Subotica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.