Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bursa: $1,047 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bursa, Turkey
Lisbon, Portugal
Bursa
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,047
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Bursa versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Bursa $1,047
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Bursa versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Bursa $1,654
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,260 in Bursa versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Bursa $2,260
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Bursa costs roughly 53% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bursa is 23% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.79 ₺488
$16.65 €14.96
-41.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.03 ₺1,496
$61.7 €55.5
-51.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.75 ₺386
$11.36 €10.20
-31.78%
Cappuccino
$3.65 ₺182
$2.97 €2.67
22.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 ₺52.7
$2.29 €2.06
-53.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ₺18.69
$1.74 €1.56
-78.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.29 ₺114
$3.40 €3.06
-32.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 ₺146
$3.31 €2.97
-11.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.96 ₺47.89
$1.16 €1.04
-17.24%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₺39.96
$1.91 €1.72
-58.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 ₺112
$1.51 €1.36
49.67%
Eggs
$2.28 ₺114
$4.02 €3.61
-43.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.26 ₺511
$12.94 €11.62
-20.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.90 ₺244
$7.77 €6.99
-36.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.96 ₺945
$17.76 €15.96
6.76%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 ₺82.9
$2.30 €2.07
-27.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 ₺97.7
$1.73 €1.56
13.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.04 ₺52.0
$1.86 €1.67
-44.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.30 ₺64.7
$2.59 €2.33
-49.81%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 ₺28.79
$1.82 €1.64
-68.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.39 ₺19.64
$1.97 €1.77
-80.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 ₺36.46
$1.47 €1.32
-50.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₺35.84
$0.72 €0.65
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.07 ₺103
$6.58 €5.92
-68.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.15 ₺705
$5.61 €5.04
152.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 ₺103
$1.36 €1.22
52.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 ₺112
$2.14 €1.92
5.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.98 ₺48.92
$2.33 €2.10
-57.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.23 ₺1,805
$44.68 €40.14
-18.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.03 ₺51.2
$3.85 €3.46
-73.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.87 ₺43.11
$1.07 €0.96
-18.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.89 ₺343
$16.46 €14.79
-58.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 ₺68.2
$2.20 €1.98
-37.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.3K ₺2.2M
$34.2K €30.7K
29.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.9K ₺1.9M
$38.7K €34.8K
0.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.9 ₺3,784
$161 €145
-52.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.92 ₺544
$18.41 €16.54
-40.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.81 ₺738
$32.74 €29.41
-54.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 ₺3,047
$44.55 €40.03
37.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.04 ₺1,148
$19.10 €17.16
20.63%
Cinema Ticket
$5.88 ₺293
$9.60 €8.62
-38.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$548 ₺27.3K
$668 €600
-17.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K ₺542.7K
$17.6K €15.8K
-38.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.43 ₺2,213
$102 €91.7
-56.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.51 ₺1,719
$44.46 €39.95
-22.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.4 ₺3,906
$98.5 €88.5
-20.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.6 ₺4,613
$124 €111
-25.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$401 ₺20.0K
$1,608 €1,445
-75.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ₺15.5K
$1,190 €1,069
-73.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 ₺36.0K
$2,812 €2,527
-74.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 ₺30.2K
$2,013 €1,809
-69.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,191 ₺59.4K
$7,839 €7,043
-84.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,217 ₺60.6K
$4,576 €4,111
-73.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bursa
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,028 ₺51.2K
$1,575 €1,415
-34.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
42.67
3.85
1008.31%

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

Last update for Bursa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bursa
$310
Lisbon
$1.2K 283% $880
Groceries & Markets
Bursa
$236
Lisbon
$272 15.4% $36
Eating Out
Bursa
$168
Lisbon
$243 44.1% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Bursa
$112
Lisbon
$166 47.5% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bursa
$102
Lisbon
$212 109% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Bursa
$73
Lisbon
$64 12.6% $9.2
Getting Around
Bursa
$46
Lisbon
$63 38.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Bursa and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 53% 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: $30 in Bursa vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $272 per month, with Bursa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Bursa
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
14:03 2:03 PM
11:03 11:03 AM
3 h behind Bursa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,238,618
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.82 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.45 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bursa Lisbon 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bursa
  • 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
Bursa vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bursa cheaper than Lisbon?
Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bursa or Lisbon?
On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Bursa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Bursa and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Bursa versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Bursa and in Lisbon?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Bursa or in Lisbon?
Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $30 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Bursa or in Lisbon?
At $1,047 in Bursa versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Bursa or in 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.
Which city is safer, Bursa or Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Bursa 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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