Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,543 in Heraklion versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,476 in Heraklion versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,409 in Heraklion versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Heraklion costs roughly 31% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heraklion 15% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.64 €11.67

$16.17 €13.84

-15.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 €49.24

$64.6 €55.3

-10.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 €10.00

$10.38 €8.88

12.52%

Cappuccino

$3.92 €3.36

$2.77 €2.37

41.52%

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

$2.26 €1.94

$2.25 €1.92

0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$1.57 €1.35

-64.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.87

$3.49 €2.99

63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.85

$4.00 €3.43

41.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.08 €0.93

76.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.74 €1.49

-13.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.27

$1.74 €1.49

52.30%

Eggs

$5.79 €4.95

$3.18 €2.72

82.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €14.47

$13.43 €11.50

25.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 €10.04

$7.99 €6.84

46.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 €12.53

$16.09 €13.77

-9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.91

$2.28 €1.95

-2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.72 €1.48

22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.94 €1.66

-23.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.58

$2.54 €2.18

-27.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.83 €1.57

-29.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.31

$2.04 €1.75

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 €0.81

$1.98 €1.69

-52.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.57

$0.85 €0.73

-21.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.39 €4.61

$6.85 €5.87

-21.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 €7.00

$5.78 €4.94

41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.37 €1.18

51.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.83

$2.90 €2.48

14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.36

$2.28 €1.95

-30.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.07 €39.43

$46.84 €40.10

-1.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.02

$4.08 €3.49

14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.61 €9.94

$18.27 €15.64

-36.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.01 €1.72

4.98%

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

$35.1K €30.1K

$35.3K €30.2K

-0.40%

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

$25.7K €22.0K

$38.5K €32.9K

-33.24%

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

$219 €188

$145 €124

50.83%

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

$23.45 €20.07

$20.96 €17.94

11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.26 €31.89

$40.05 €34.29

-6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €44.11

$48.79 €41.76

5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.21 €35.28

$18.69 €16.00

120.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.11 €7.80

$9.06 €7.76

0.55%

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

$423 €362

$607 €519

-30.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,237 €3,627

$16.3K €14.0K

-74.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 €85.1

$105 €89.6

-4.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.92 €40.17

$40.95 €35.06

14.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 €76.7

$93.6 €80.1

-4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$119 €101

15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$545 €466

$1,604 €1,373

-66.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 €355

$1,236 €1,058

-66.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €890

$3,046 €2,607

-65.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$889 €761

$2,057 €1,761

-56.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,071 €3,485

$7,709 €6,599

-47.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,861 €2,449

$4,266 €3,652

-32.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,147 €982

$1,584 €1,356

-27.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

3.81

16.54%

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

Last update for Heraklion: April 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $545 in Heraklion and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 38% 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: $58.0 in Heraklion vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $271, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Heraklion vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lisbon earns 38% 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: $545 in Heraklion versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $423 in Heraklion versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,543 in Heraklion versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Heraklion is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Heraklion 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 Heraklion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.