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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,116 in Subotica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,717 in Subotica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,319 in Subotica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 108% more expensive than in Subotica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Subotica is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$9.78 RSD 980

74.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$34.69 RSD 3,477

84.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$11.55 RSD 1,158

1.39%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$2.02 RSD 203

55.45%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.88 RSD 188

33.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.85 RSD 185

-10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.48 RSD 248

41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.86 RSD 287

17.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.34 RSD 134

-13.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.14 RSD 114

77.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$2.30 RSD 230

-31.30%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$3.12 RSD 313

29.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$12.18 RSD 1,221

5.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$6.65 RSD 666

20.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$12.82 RSD 1,285

32.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.49 RSD 149

59.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.94 RSD 195

-5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.49 RSD 149

33.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.22 RSD 223

20.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.03 RSD 103

84.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.62 RSD 62.6

217.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.57 RSD 57.3

150.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.66 RSD 66.5

37.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$4.28 RSD 429

59.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$5.33 RSD 534

7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.84 RSD 84.6

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.48 RSD 248

-14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$1.15 RSD 115

108.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$34.44 RSD 3,452

33.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$2.02 RSD 202

110.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.25 RSD 125

-11.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$11.11 RSD 1,113

61.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.78 RSD 178

23.60%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$31.4K RSD 3.1M

12.27%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$25.6K RSD 2.6M

56.43%

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

$171 €146

$172 RSD 17.2K

-0.56%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$15.71 RSD 1,575

24.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$39.41 RSD 3,950

-15.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$34.49 RSD 3,457

39.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$9.81 RSD 983

102.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$5.01 RSD 502

102.00%

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

$700 €599

$244 RSD 24.4K

187.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$45.11 RSD 4,521

141.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$23.38 RSD 2,343

104.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$95.6 RSD 9,578

11.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$72.6 RSD 7,277

73.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$436 RSD 43.7K

291.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$303 RSD 30.3K

318.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$626 RSD 62.8K

374.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$558 RSD 55.9K

258.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$2,442 RSD 244.8K

228.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$1,689 RSD 169.2K

167.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$922 RSD 92.4K

80.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

4.79

-22.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Subotica: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $436 in Subotica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 80% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Subotica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $225 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 108% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,116 including rent). Subotica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $436 in Subotica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $244 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 $1,116 in Subotica versus $2,322 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 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.