Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tesanj Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tesanj

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $954 in Tesanj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,390 in Tesanj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,825 in Tesanj.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 138% more expensive than in Tesanj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Tesanj is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.08

$3.46 BAM 5.81

407.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.4

$16.42 BAM 27.59

292.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$2.94 BAM 4.93

296.26%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$0.91 BAM 1.53

258.24%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.44 BAM 2.42

72.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.86 BAM 1.44

94.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.98

$2.07 BAM 3.48

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$1.81 BAM 3.03

97.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.81 BAM 1.36

45.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$0.86 BAM 1.44

126.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.31 BAM 3.88

-32.47%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.44

$3.06 BAM 5.13

31.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$9.88 BAM 16.60

34.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.23

$7.27 BAM 12.22

15.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.67

$13.43 BAM 22.55

35.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.25 BAM 2.10

85.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$1.81 BAM 3.04

-4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.85 BAM 3.10

4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.74 BAM 2.93

51.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.79 BAM 1.33

140.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.68 BAM 1.15

210.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.95 BAM 1.59

51.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.01 BAM 1.70

-20.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.02

$4.00 BAM 6.72

75.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$8.02 BAM 13.48

-26.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.31 BAM 2.19

3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.32 BAM 3.90

-7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.04

$1.31 BAM 2.20

81.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.17 BAM 1.97

258.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.57 BAM 0.96

92.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.83

$10.75 BAM 18.06

60.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.53 BAM 2.57

47.06%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$31.6K BAM 53.1K

9.09%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$22.4K BAM 37.6K

85.81%

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

$171 €147

$124 BAM 209

37.63%

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

$19.01 €16.33

$18.92 BAM 31.78

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.46

$28.33 BAM 47.59

21.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.66

$34.48 BAM 57.9

44.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.76

$30.09 BAM 50.6

-35.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$3.01 BAM 5.05

235.55%

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

$699 €601

$152 BAM 256

358.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,994 BAM 6,709

344.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$116 BAM 195

-9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.22

$34.80 BAM 58.5

37.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.5

$97.6 BAM 164

4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$117 BAM 197

9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$349 BAM 586

375.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,055

$262 BAM 441

367.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,505

$528 BAM 888

451.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,739

$380 BAM 638

432.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,985

$2,544 BAM 4,272

219.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,983

$1,825 BAM 3,065

154.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,391

$715 BAM 1,201

126.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.3

-12.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $349 in Tesanj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 126% 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 $16.00 in Tesanj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $225 per month, with Tesanj 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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tesanj differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $954 including rent). Tesanj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $349 in Tesanj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $954 in Tesanj – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $954 in Tesanj versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tesanj but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tesanj 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 Tesanj 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 Tesanj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.