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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,214 in Zabljak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,829 in Zabljak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,443 in Zabljak.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than Zabljak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Zabljak is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$8.22 €7.12

93.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$32.17 €27.88

96.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$6.96 €6.04

49.14%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$1.71 €1.48

63.16%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.19 €1.90

6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.43 €1.24

9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$3.23 €2.80

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$3.70 €3.21

5.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.35 €1.17

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.71 €0.62

149.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.36 €1.18

25.74%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$3.12 €2.71

0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$7.66 €6.64

78.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$7.55 €6.54

6.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$11.94 €10.35

29.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.25 €1.09

83.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.79 €1.56

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.66 €1.44

16.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.47 €1.27

70.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.67 €0.58

167.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.67 €0.58

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.88 €0.77

123.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.18 €1.02

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$4.01 €3.47

69.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$4.71 €4.08

20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.25 €1.08

11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.80 €1.56

67.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.48 €1.28

53.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$38.28 €33.18

18.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.14 €0.99

276.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.63 €0.55

34.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$17.44 €15.12

4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.80 €1.56

10.56%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$29.9K €25.9K

17.31%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$26.5K €22.9K

49.42%

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

$146 €127

$117 €101

25.23%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$18.12 €15.71

12.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$23.03 €19.96

69.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$44.98 €38.98

8.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$14.15 €12.26

33.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$5.88 €5.10

61.90%

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

$608 €527

$422 €366

44.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$10.1K €8,778

63.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$23.59 €20.45

340.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$28.99 €25.12

45.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$58.9 €51.1

56.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$70.7 €61.3

69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$718 €622

125.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$534 €463

137.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$1,282 €1,111

137.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$910 €789

120.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$3,779 €3,276

102.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$2,581 €2,237

67.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$829 €719

91.12%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Zabljak: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $718 in Zabljak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 91% 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 $206 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 86% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,214 including rent). Zabljak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 91% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $718 in Zabljak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $422 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 $1,214 in Zabljak versus $2,263 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 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.