Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novo Mesto and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Novo Mesto: $1,493 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Novo Mesto
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Novo Mesto Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Novo Mesto

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,493

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novo Mesto and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Novo Mesto and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,493 in Novo Mesto versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Novo Mesto $1,493
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,180 in Novo Mesto versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Novo Mesto $2,180
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,868 in Novo Mesto versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Novo Mesto $2,868
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Novo Mesto costs roughly 33% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Novo Mesto 11% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 €9.94

$16.50 €14.67

-32.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.54 €29.83

$61.3 €54.5

-45.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 €7.81

$11.27 €10.03

-22.01%

Cappuccino

$1.82 €1.62

$3.06 €2.72

-40.52%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.26 €2.01

0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.73 €1.54

-10.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 €2.76

$3.39 €3.02

-8.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.55

$3.40 €3.02

-15.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.12 €1.00

16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.86 €1.65

-2.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$1.53 €1.36

83.01%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.51

$3.96 €3.53

-0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 €11.99

$12.76 €11.35

5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 €8.36

$7.90 €7.02

18.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 €8.10

$16.97 €15.09

-46.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.27 €2.02

-26.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.75 €1.55

0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.85 €1.64

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.98

$2.57 €2.28

30.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.86 €1.65

-38.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$2.02 €1.80

-25.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.44 €1.28

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.61

$0.82 €0.73

-17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €5.06

$6.56 €5.83

-13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.83

$5.62 €5.00

16.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.28 €1.14

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.07 €1.84

-14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.35 €2.09

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 €30.97

$44.18 €39.30

-21.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 €1.46

$3.99 €3.55

-58.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.09 €0.97

24.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.93 €24.84

$16.64 €14.81

67.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.43

$2.28 €2.03

-29.82%

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

$29.6K €26.3K

$33.7K €30.0K

-12.25%

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

$24.7K €22.0K

$39.3K €35.0K

-37.08%

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

$292 €260

$167 €149

74.43%

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

$11.44 €10.17

$18.80 €16.72

-39.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.87 €34.58

$33.09 €29.43

17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €45.23

$46.01 €40.93

10.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.61 €29.90

$19.19 €17.07

75.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 €7.05

$9.84 €8.75

-19.41%

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

$509 €452

$677 €602

-24.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €10.1K

$16.9K €15.1K

-32.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €81.1

$101 €90.1

-9.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.04 €33.84

$45.76 €40.70

-16.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €108

$100.0 €88.9

21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €128

$123 €109

17.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 €448

$1,614 €1,436

-68.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 €377

$1,197 €1,065

-64.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €744

$2,862 €2,545

-70.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 €648

$1,990 €1,770

-63.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,809 €2,499

$7,577 €6,740

-62.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,235 €2,878

$4,307 €3,831

-24.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 €1,297

$1,588 €1,412

-8.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

3.85

-14.55%

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

Last update for Novo Mesto: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Novo Mesto

$424 28.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 183% $774

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novo Mesto

$342 22.9%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 35.9% $123

Groceries & Markets

Novo Mesto

$260 17.4%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 3.6% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Novo Mesto

$178 11.9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 6.3% $11

Eating Out

Novo Mesto

$174 11.7%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 39.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Novo Mesto

$67 4.5%

Lisbon

$66 3% 1.5% $1

Getting Around

Novo Mesto

$49 3.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 28.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Novo Mesto and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 9% 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: $34.00 in Novo Mesto vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $269 per month, with Novo Mesto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Novo Mesto

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

05:23 5:23 AM

1 h behind Novo Mesto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,200

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Novo Mesto Lisbon 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Novo Mesto
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Novo Mesto vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novo Mesto and Lisbon differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,493 vs $2,223 including rent). Novo Mesto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $504 in Novo Mesto versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $509 in Novo Mesto versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,493 in Novo Mesto versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novo Mesto but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Novo Mesto 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, Novo Mesto and Lisbon 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 Novo Mesto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.