Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballsh Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballsh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $1,235 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $1,892 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $2,549 in Ballsh, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 84% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 64% above the global median, while Ballsh is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.13 ALL 800

73.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$53.3 ALL 4,212

20.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.19 ALL 568

62.03%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.32 ALL 183

40.52%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.42 ALL 112

75.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.86 ALL 67.5

94.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.70 ALL 292

-6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.18 ALL 330

-14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.31 ALL 182

-48.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.24 ALL 97.8

57.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.39 ALL 189

-34.73%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.86 ALL 305

3.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.60 ALL 1,074

-2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$9.14 ALL 722

-7.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$17.57 ALL 1,388

3.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.02 ALL 160

14.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.53 ALL 200

-31.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.27 ALL 180

-14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.86 ALL 147

41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.04 ALL 82.4

82.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.30 ALL 103

62.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.50 ALL 118

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.82 ALL 64.7

-2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.04 ALL 398

39.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.50 ALL 908

-48.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.76 ALL 139

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.04 ALL 161

5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.49 ALL 38.52

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$20.29 ALL 1,603

127.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.72 ALL 294

12.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.75 ALL 296

-70.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$18.96 ALL 1,498

-8.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.39 ALL 189

-5.86%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

-0.20%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$37.4K ALL 3.0M

11.40%

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

$171 €147

$102 ALL 8,060

67.45%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$18.98 ALL 1,499

0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$20.84 ALL 1,646

64.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$58.8 ALL 4,640

-15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.04 ALL 793

0.60%

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

$699 €603

$346 ALL 27.3K

102.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$8,431 ALL 665.9K

110.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$51.3 ALL 4,050

103.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$48.84 ALL 3,857

-1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$122 ALL 9,673

-16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$114 ALL 9,016

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$485 ALL 38.3K

242.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$337 ALL 26.6K

264.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$717 ALL 56.6K

306.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$476 ALL 37.6K

325.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,886 ALL 149.0K

331.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,282 ALL 101.2K

261.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.64

-32.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $485 in Ballsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon versus $53.0 in Ballsh. Groceries tell a different story – $281 in Lisbon vs $301 in Ballsh – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Lisbon vs Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 84%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $1,852 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon and $53.0 in Ballsh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballsh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.