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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $868 in Zenica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,297 in Zenica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,727 in Zenica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 161% more expensive than in Zenica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Zenica is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$7.18 BAM 12.10

144.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$18.86 BAM 31.78

241.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.23 BAM 7.13

175.41%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.67 BAM 2.81

95.21%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.81 BAM 3.06

37.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.24 BAM 2.08

34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.12 BAM 3.57

63.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.11 BAM 3.56

69.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.32 BAM 2.22

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.95 BAM 1.59

105.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.81 BAM 3.05

-13.81%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.82 BAM 4.75

42.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.94 BAM 13.37

67.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.53 BAM 12.69

11.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.80 BAM 21.56

42.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.39 BAM 2.35

66.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.63 BAM 2.75

6.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.57 BAM 2.64

22.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.90 BAM 3.20

38.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.02 BAM 1.71

86.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.27 BAM 2.14

66.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.58 BAM 0.97

148.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.73 BAM 1.24

9.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.57 BAM 6.02

96.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.83 BAM 9.82

1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.86 BAM 1.45

58.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.04 BAM 1.75

106.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.93 BAM 1.57

155.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$32.40 BAM 54.6

42.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.60 BAM 2.70

161.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.87 BAM 1.46

26.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$8.81 BAM 14.85

95.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.46 BAM 2.46

54.11%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$31.8K BAM 53.6K

8.28%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$22.2K BAM 37.5K

87.09%

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

$171 €147

$167 BAM 281

2.46%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.22 BAM 32.38

-1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$25.10 BAM 42.29

36.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$24.59 BAM 41.43

101.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$14.59 BAM 24.59

33.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.68 BAM 7.88

115.81%

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

$699 €603

$152 BAM 256

360.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,008 BAM 6,754

343.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$52.0 BAM 87.6

101.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$31.70 BAM 53.4

51.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$94.0 BAM 158

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$90.1 BAM 152

42.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$195 BAM 329

752.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$148 BAM 249

732.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$278 BAM 469

946.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$211 BAM 356

858.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,615 BAM 2,721

403.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,350 BAM 2,275

243.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$659 BAM 1,111

145.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

26.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Zenica: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $195 in Zenica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 146% 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 $19.00 in Zenica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $208 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 161% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $868 including rent). Zenica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% 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 $195 in Zenica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $152 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 $868 in Zenica versus $2,268 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 161% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.