Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Sarajevo versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,911 in Sarajevo versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,556 in Sarajevo versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Sarajevo costs roughly 45% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarajevo is 8% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 BAM 14.69

$17.30 €14.93

-49.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.99 BAM 70.8

$63.3 €54.6

-33.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 BAM 15.39

$11.39 €9.83

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$2.32 BAM 3.91

$3.19 €2.75

-27.27%

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

$2.25 BAM 3.80

$2.45 €2.11

-8.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 BAM 2.50

$1.76 €1.52

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 BAM 4.96

$3.59 €3.10

-18.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 BAM 4.98

$3.39 €2.93

-12.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 BAM 2.14

$1.24 €1.07

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BAM 2.09

$1.98 €1.71

-37.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 BAM 3.75

$1.52 €1.31

46.05%

Eggs

$3.26 BAM 5.50

$4.04 €3.49

-19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.85 BAM 18.30

$13.54 €11.68

-19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 BAM 13.28

$8.39 €7.24

-6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 BAM 25.68

$18.25 €15.75

-16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.61

$2.29 €1.98

-32.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 BAM 2.85

$1.74 €1.50

-2.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BAM 2.93

$1.86 €1.60

-6.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 BAM 3.70

$2.63 €2.27

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 BAM 1.77

$1.92 €1.65

-45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 BAM 2.08

$2.09 €1.81

-41.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 BAM 1.87

$1.44 €1.24

-22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BAM 1.29

$0.84 €0.73

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 BAM 6.72

$6.78 €5.85

-41.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 BAM 14.03

$5.71 €4.93

45.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 BAM 1.52

$1.38 €1.19

-34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 BAM 2.54

$2.22 €1.91

-32.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 BAM 2.22

$2.40 €2.07

-45.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.61 BAM 60.1

$46.78 €40.37

-23.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 BAM 2.51

$4.17 €3.60

-64.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 BAM 2.07

$1.14 €0.98

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 BAM 14.92

$17.68 €15.26

-49.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 BAM 2.86

$2.32 €2.01

-26.72%

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

$31.1K BAM 52.5K

$35.3K €30.5K

-11.88%

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

$23.8K BAM 40.2K

$41.4K €35.8K

-42.54%

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

$224 BAM 377

$170 €147

31.28%

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

$14.67 BAM 24.73

$19.34 €16.69

-24.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 BAM 47.79

$33.64 €29.03

-15.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.45 BAM 69.9

$48.10 €41.50

-13.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 BAM 34.31

$19.90 €17.17

2.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 BAM 11.90

$9.92 €8.56

-28.83%

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

$216 BAM 364

$717 €619

-69.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,961 BAM 6,680

$17.5K €15.1K

-77.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 BAM 153

$105 €90.4

-13.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 BAM 67.0

$46.95 €40.51

-15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 BAM 161

$103 €89.2

-7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 BAM 176

$124 €107

-15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 BAM 802

$1,677 €1,447

-71.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 BAM 545

$1,271 €1,097

-74.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 BAM 1,815

$2,985 €2,575

-63.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 BAM 1,017

$1,992 €1,719

-69.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,397 BAM 5,728

$7,826 €6,753

-56.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 BAM 4,201

$4,658 €4,019

-46.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,089 BAM 1,836

$1,583 €1,366

-31.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.79

7.65%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Sarajevo and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 45% 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: $42.00 in Sarajevo vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $283 per month, with Sarajevo 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

Sarajevo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo and Lisbon differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $2,316 including rent). Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $475 in Sarajevo versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $216 in Sarajevo versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Sarajevo versus $2,316 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 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.