Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zenica Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zenica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $884 in Zenica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,294 in Zenica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,703 in Zenica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 150% more expensive than Zenica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Zenica is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.87 BAM 11.54

131.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$18.70 BAM 31.42

246.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.20 BAM 7.05

150.24%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.59 BAM 2.68

80.50%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.79 BAM 3.01

25.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.20 BAM 2.01

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.03 BAM 3.41

71.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.02 BAM 3.39

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.22 BAM 2.04

-6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.85 BAM 1.43

105.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.72 BAM 2.89

2.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.68 BAM 4.50

20.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.66 BAM 12.88

76.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.32 BAM 12.29

8.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$12.96 BAM 21.78

22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.41 BAM 2.37

63.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.64 BAM 2.76

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.54 BAM 2.59

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.84 BAM 3.09

33.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.04 BAM 1.74

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.25 BAM 2.11

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.57 BAM 0.97

238.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 BAM 1.20

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.60 BAM 6.05

83.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.24 BAM 7.12

34.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.84 BAM 1.42

63.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.00 BAM 1.68

197.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.85 BAM 1.44

178.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$32.08 BAM 53.9

42.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.59 BAM 2.66

169.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.84 BAM 1.41

-2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$8.99 BAM 15.10

103.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.45 BAM 2.43

42.07%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.8K BAM 40.0K

44.15%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.2K BAM 44.0K

50.03%

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

$148 €127

$168 BAM 283

-12.17%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.17 BAM 32.20

7.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$24.40 BAM 40.99

62.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$24.13 BAM 40.54

98.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.50 BAM 24.36

30.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.63 BAM 7.78

98.27%

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

$614 €528

$149 BAM 251

310.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,286 BAM 5,521

388.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$51.1 BAM 85.8

104.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$30.99 BAM 52.1

35.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$94.6 BAM 159

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$92.2 BAM 155

29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$195 BAM 327

735.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$145 BAM 244

762.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$280 BAM 470

983.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$206 BAM 346

881.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,631 BAM 2,741

378.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,337 BAM 2,246

219.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$732 BAM 1,231

118.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

27.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zenica: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $195 in Zenica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 119% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Zenica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $200 per month, with Zenica 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 Zenica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zenica differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $884 including rent). Zenica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 119% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $195 in Zenica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $149 in Zenica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $884 in Zenica versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zenica but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zenica 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 Zenica 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 Zenica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.