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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,202 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Lisbon vs $1,838 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,411 per month in Lisbon vs $2,474 in Ballsh, rent included.

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

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Ballsh is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$11.72 ALL 959

35.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$59.1 ALL 4,832

9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.81 ALL 557

54.33%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.03 ALL 166

41.38%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.45 ALL 119

54.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.90 ALL 73.9

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.97 ALL 243

17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.19 ALL 343

-7.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.12 ALL 174

-46.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.14 ALL 93.0

53.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.16 ALL 177

-18.52%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.89 ALL 318

-17.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$13.34 ALL 1,091

1.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.70 ALL 630

2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$15.67 ALL 1,282

1.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.77 ALL 145

30.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.78 ALL 228

-38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.04 ALL 167

-1.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.98 ALL 162

24.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.33 ALL 109

38.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.32 ALL 108

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.45 ALL 119

33.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.80 ALL 65.6

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.37 ALL 357

51.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.96 ALL 897

-47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.62 ALL 133

-15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.07 ALL 170

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.48 ALL 39.46

393.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$19.01 ALL 1,555

139.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.55 ALL 291

20.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.23 ALL 264

-74.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$17.99 ALL 1,472

1.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.15 ALL 176

-4.19%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$40.8K ALL 3.3M

-15.95%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$35.3K ALL 2.9M

11.21%

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

$148 €127

$107 ALL 8,763

38.04%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$17.78 ALL 1,455

15.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$18.41 ALL 1,506

115.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$55.6 ALL 4,545

-13.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$25.45 ALL 2,082

-25.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.21 ALL 754

-0.33%

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

$614 €528

$159 ALL 13.0K

285.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,513 ALL 451.1K

191.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$67.1 ALL 5,486

56.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$50.2 ALL 4,104

-16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$109 ALL 8,922

-13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$129 ALL 10.6K

-7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$444 ALL 36.4K

266.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$347 ALL 28.4K

261.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$615 ALL 50.3K

392.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$433 ALL 35.4K

366.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,749 ALL 143.1K

345.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,196 ALL 97.8K

257.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.52

-30.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $444 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 $65.0 in Lisbon versus $59.0 in Ballsh. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $282 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 $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,803 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 5% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon and $59.0 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 $1,202, than in Lisbon at $2,210. 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.