Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarajevo: $1,206 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,206

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Sarajevo $1,206
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Sarajevo versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Sarajevo $1,834
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,461 in Sarajevo versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Sarajevo $2,461
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 46% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarajevo is 11% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 BAM 14.97

$16.50 €14.67

-47.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.25 BAM 68.3

$61.3 €54.5

-35.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.40 BAM 14.60

$11.27 €10.03

-25.47%

Cappuccino

$2.34 BAM 4.07

$3.06 €2.72

-23.53%

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

$2.17 BAM 3.77

$2.26 €2.01

-3.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$1.73 €1.54

-17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 BAM 5.11

$3.39 €3.02

-13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 BAM 5.10

$3.40 €3.02

-13.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 BAM 2.11

$1.12 €1.00

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 2.04

$1.86 €1.65

-37.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 BAM 3.65

$1.53 €1.36

37.25%

Eggs

$3.10 BAM 5.39

$3.96 €3.53

-21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 BAM 17.86

$12.76 €11.35

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 BAM 12.96

$7.90 €7.02

-5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 BAM 25.13

$16.97 €15.09

-14.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 BAM 2.45

$2.27 €2.02

-37.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 BAM 2.91

$1.75 €1.55

-4.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 BAM 2.61

$1.85 €1.64

-18.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.56

$2.57 €2.28

-20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$1.86 €1.65

-49.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 BAM 1.93

$2.02 €1.80

-45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 BAM 1.94

$1.44 €1.28

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BAM 1.27

$0.82 €0.73

-10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 BAM 6.76

$6.56 €5.83

-40.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 BAM 12.61

$5.62 €5.00

29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BAM 1.53

$1.28 €1.14

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BAM 2.69

$2.07 €1.84

-25.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 BAM 2.21

$2.35 €2.09

-45.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.16 BAM 59.4

$44.18 €39.30

-22.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 BAM 2.52

$3.99 €3.55

-63.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$1.09 €0.97

6.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 BAM 14.58

$16.64 €14.81

-49.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BAM 3.01

$2.28 €2.03

-24.12%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.5K

$33.7K €30.0K

-10.34%

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

$23.3K BAM 40.5K

$39.3K €35.0K

-40.73%

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

$222 BAM 386

$167 €149

32.69%

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

$14.05 BAM 24.44

$18.80 €16.72

-25.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.44 BAM 47.72

$33.09 €29.43

-17.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 BAM 70.1

$46.01 €40.93

-12.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.64 BAM 34.16

$19.19 €17.07

2.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 BAM 12.01

$9.84 €8.75

-29.88%

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

$203 BAM 352

$677 €602

-70.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,817 BAM 6,638

$16.9K €15.1K

-77.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 BAM 154

$101 €90.1

-12.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 BAM 64.8

$45.76 €40.70

-18.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 BAM 157

$100.0 €88.9

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 BAM 173

$123 €109

-19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 BAM 794

$1,614 €1,436

-71.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 544

$1,197 €1,065

-73.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 BAM 1,762

$2,862 €2,545

-64.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 BAM 1,037

$1,990 €1,770

-70.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,278 BAM 5,700

$7,577 €6,740

-56.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 BAM 4,070

$4,307 €3,831

-45.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,041 BAM 1,811

$1,588 €1,412

-34.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.85

5.97%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarajevo

$313 26%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 283% $884

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$264 21.9%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 16.8% $44

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$230 19%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 17.3% $40

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$157 13%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 54.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$142 11.8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 17.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$54 4.5%

Lisbon

$66 3% 21.3% $12

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$47 3.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 35.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $457 in Sarajevo and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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: $39.00 in Sarajevo vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $269 per month, with Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h behind Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sarajevo Lisbon 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarajevo
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

Sarajevo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo and Lisbon differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,206 vs $2,223 including rent). Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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: $457 in Sarajevo versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Sarajevo 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 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sarajevo 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, Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.