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: $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,811 in Sarajevo versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Sarajevo versus $4,411 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 10% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.21 BAM 12.11

$15.91 €13.69

-54.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 BAM 59.9

$64.8 €55.7

-44.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 BAM 15.05

$10.51 €9.04

-14.75%

Cappuccino

$2.04 BAM 3.42

$2.87 €2.47

-28.92%

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

$2.01 BAM 3.38

$2.24 €1.93

-10.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BAM 2.38

$1.50 €1.29

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 BAM 4.52

$3.49 €3.00

-22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BAM 3.90

$3.88 €3.34

-40.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.40

$1.14 €0.98

25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BAM 2.03

$1.75 €1.51

-30.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 BAM 3.50

$1.76 €1.51

18.18%

Eggs

$3.24 BAM 5.45

$3.22 €2.77

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 BAM 17.29

$13.49 €11.61

-23.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 BAM 14.88

$7.91 €6.81

12.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 BAM 22.58

$15.87 €13.65

-15.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.60

$2.31 €1.99

-32.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BAM 3.15

$1.70 €1.46

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 BAM 3.44

$2.01 €1.73

1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 BAM 3.84

$2.46 €2.12

-6.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BAM 1.88

$1.84 €1.59

-39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 BAM 2.02

$2.00 €1.72

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BAM 2.06

$1.93 €1.66

-36.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BAM 1.27

$0.79 €0.68

-3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 BAM 6.33

$6.61 €5.68

-43.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 BAM 13.99

$5.72 €4.92

45.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BAM 1.75

$1.37 €1.17

-24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 BAM 2.21

$2.97 €2.56

-55.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 BAM 1.82

$2.37 €2.04

-54.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.31 BAM 52.6

$45.56 €39.19

-31.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 BAM 2.42

$4.29 €3.69

-66.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 BAM 1.31

$0.82 €0.70

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 BAM 15.25

$18.30 €15.74

-50.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BAM 2.55

$2.06 €1.78

-26.21%

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

$26.7K BAM 44.9K

$34.3K €29.5K

-21.98%

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

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

-34.04%

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

$197 BAM 331

$148 €127

33.13%

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

$19.00 BAM 31.92

$20.52 €17.65

-7.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.37 BAM 56.1

$39.61 €34.08

-15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.64 BAM 59.9

$47.85 €41.16

-25.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 BAM 27.62

$18.92 €16.28

-13.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 BAM 11.67

$9.18 €7.90

-24.40%

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

$255 BAM 428

$614 €528

-58.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,323 BAM 5,583

$16.0K €13.8K

-79.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 BAM 153

$105 €90.0

-12.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.66 BAM 61.6

$42.06 €36.18

-12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BAM 182

$94.0 €80.8

15.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 BAM 168

$120 €103

-16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 BAM 726

$1,628 €1,400

-73.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 BAM 526

$1,255 €1,080

-75.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 BAM 1,474

$3,030 €2,607

-71.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 BAM 1,008

$2,020 €1,738

-70.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 BAM 5,762

$7,800 €6,709

-56.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 BAM 4,003

$4,273 €3,675

-44.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 BAM 1,788

$1,603 €1,379

-33.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.81

-0.26%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Sarajevo and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 51% 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: $36.00 in Sarajevo vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $269 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 ($1,206 vs $2,210 including rent). Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 51% less. 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: $432 in Sarajevo versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $255 in Sarajevo versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Sarajevo versus $2,210 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.