Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zenica and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Zenica: $850 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zenica
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$850
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Zenica versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Zenica $850
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Zenica versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Zenica $1,245
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,639 in Zenica versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Zenica $1,639
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Zenica costs roughly 62% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zenica is 37% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.98 BAM 12.14
$16.50 €14.67
-57.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.26 BAM 31.76
$61.3 €54.5
-70.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.09 BAM 7.11
$11.27 €10.03
-63.71%
Cappuccino
$1.59 BAM 2.77
$3.06 €2.72
-48.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 BAM 2.95
$2.26 €2.01
-25.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 BAM 2.15
$1.73 €1.54
-28.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.99 BAM 3.46
$3.39 €3.02
-41.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 BAM 3.50
$3.40 €3.02
-40.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 BAM 2.22
$1.12 €1.00
13.39%
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 BAM 1.64
$1.86 €1.65
-49.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 BAM 3.00
$1.53 €1.36
13.07%
Eggs
$2.70 BAM 4.70
$3.96 €3.53
-31.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.58 BAM 13.18
$12.76 €11.35
-40.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.07 BAM 12.29
$7.90 €7.02
-10.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.55 BAM 21.82
$16.97 €15.09
-26.05%
Apples (1kg)
$1.35 BAM 2.35
$2.27 €2.02
-40.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 BAM 2.77
$1.75 €1.55
-9.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 BAM 2.70
$1.85 €1.64
-16.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.76 BAM 3.06
$2.57 €2.28
-31.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.01 BAM 1.76
$1.86 €1.65
-45.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.22 BAM 2.13
$2.02 €1.80
-39.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 BAM 1.01
$1.44 €1.28
-59.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 BAM 1.22
$0.82 €0.73
-14.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.35 BAM 5.83
$6.56 €5.83
-48.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.58 BAM 9.71
$5.62 €5.00
-0.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 BAM 1.47
$1.28 €1.14
-33.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 BAM 1.73
$2.07 €1.84
-52.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.90 BAM 1.56
$2.35 €2.09
-61.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.58 BAM 54.9
$44.18 €39.30
-28.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 BAM 2.68
$3.99 €3.55
-61.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.87 BAM 1.51
$1.09 €0.97
-20.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.73 BAM 15.18
$16.64 €14.81
-47.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 BAM 2.60
$2.28 €2.03
-34.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K BAM 53.3K
$33.7K €30.0K
-8.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K BAM 37.7K
$39.3K €35.0K
-44.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 BAM 280
$167 €149
-3.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.28 BAM 31.79
$18.80 €16.72
-2.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.97 BAM 41.68
$33.09 €29.43
-27.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.06 BAM 41.83
$46.01 €40.93
-47.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.24 BAM 24.76
$19.19 €17.07
-25.79%
Cinema Ticket
$4.50 BAM 7.83
$9.84 €8.75
-54.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$134 BAM 234
$677 €602
-80.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,848 BAM 6,691
$16.9K €15.1K
-77.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 BAM 87.6
$101 €90.1
-50.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.31 BAM 52.7
$45.76 €40.70
-33.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.8 BAM 161
$100.0 €88.9
-7.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.9 BAM 151
$123 €109
-29.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$191 BAM 333
$1,614 €1,436
-88.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$142 BAM 247
$1,197 €1,065
-88.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$267 BAM 465
$2,862 €2,545
-90.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$200 BAM 347
$1,990 €1,770
-89.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,584 BAM 2,754
$7,577 €6,740
-79.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,280 BAM 2,227
$4,307 €3,831
-70.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zenica
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$653 BAM 1,136
$1,588 €1,412
-58.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
3.85
-22.08%

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

Last update for Zenica: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zenica
$203
Lisbon
$219 7.9% $16
Groceries & Markets
Zenica
$201
Lisbon
$269 34.3% $69
Accommodation & Living
Zenica
$142
Lisbon
$1.2K 743% $1.1K
Clothing & Footwear
Zenica
$117
Lisbon
$166 42% $49
Eating Out
Zenica
$113
Lisbon
$242 115% $129
Getting Around
Zenica
$41
Lisbon
$63 53.4% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Zenica
$33
Lisbon
$66 98.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $191 in Zenica and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 143% 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: $18.00 in Zenica vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $269 per month, with Zenica cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇦 Zenica
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
04:10 4:10 AM
03:10 3:10 AM
1 h behind Zenica
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,533
545,923 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zenica Lisbon 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Zenica
  • 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
Zenica vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Zenica and in Lisbon?
Zenica and Lisbon differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($850 vs $2,223 including rent). Zenica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 143% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Zenica and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $191 in Zenica versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Zenica and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $134 in Zenica versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $850 in Zenica versus $2,223 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.
How does quality of life compare between Zenica and Lisbon?
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.
Is Zenica or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Zenica 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.
Where should expats move: Zenica or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Zenica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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