Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zabljak Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zabljak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,224 in Zabljak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,851 in Zabljak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,478 in Zabljak.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 80% more expensive than in Zabljak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Zabljak is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$7.94 €6.98

97.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$32.23 €28.34

95.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$6.75 €5.93

56.00%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$1.77 €1.56

62.71%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$2.20 €1.93

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.42 €1.25

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$3.14 €2.76

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$3.66 €3.21

6.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.40 €1.23

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$0.68 €0.60

154.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.37 €1.20

28.47%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$3.26 €2.87

-3.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$7.34 €6.45

81.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$7.72 €6.79

1.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$11.95 €10.50

32.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.24 €1.09

93.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.79 €1.57

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.68 €1.47

20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.54 €1.36

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.67 €0.59

177.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.71 €0.62

190.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.91 €0.80

119.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$1.20 €1.05

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$4.10 €3.61

62.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$4.65 €4.09

24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.23 €1.08

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$1.81 €1.59

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$1.41 €1.24

65.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$38.36 €33.72

18.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$1.13 €0.99

261.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.64 €0.56

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$17.70 €15.56

5.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.79 €1.58

11.73%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$29.8K €26.2K

18.87%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$26.5K €23.3K

47.22%

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

$150 €132

$115 €101

30.19%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$18.73 €16.46

9.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$23.53 €20.68

67.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$45.01 €39.57

6.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$14.41 €12.67

29.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$5.80 €5.10

60.34%

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

$628 €552

$412 €362

52.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$10.0K €8,805

64.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$23.34 €20.52

335.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$28.69 €25.22

44.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$57.5 €50.6

60.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$70.3 €61.8

74.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$718 €631

126.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$534 €469

130.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$1,252 €1,101

149.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$909 €799

126.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$3,724 €3,273

108.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$2,487 €2,186

76.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$819 €720

97.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.93

-35.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for Zabljak: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $718 in Zabljak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 98% 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 $32.00 in Zabljak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $208 per month, with Zabljak 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 Zabljak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zabljak differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,224 including rent). Zabljak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $718 in Zabljak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $412 in Zabljak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,224 in Zabljak versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zabljak but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zabljak 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 Zabljak 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 Zabljak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.