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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Lisbon vs $1,211 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,322 per month in Lisbon vs $1,879 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,354 per month in Lisbon vs $2,548 in Ballsh, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 89% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 71% above the global median, while Ballsh is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$11.71 ALL 955

38.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$58.6 ALL 4,782

8.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.84 ALL 557

50.88%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.02 ALL 165

40.10%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.43 ALL 117

60.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.90 ALL 73.8

75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.93 ALL 239

16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.03 ALL 329

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.15 ALL 175

-49.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.10 ALL 89.7

59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.13 ALL 174

-17.37%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.92 ALL 320

-19.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$13.24 ALL 1,079

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.62 ALL 621

4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$15.43 ALL 1,258

0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.77 ALL 144

33.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.67 ALL 218

-35.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.98 ALL 162

1.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.92 ALL 157

26.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.31 ALL 107

34.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.28 ALL 105

58.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.49 ALL 122

28.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.75 ALL 61.1

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.32 ALL 352

52.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.42 ALL 850

-46.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.64 ALL 134

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.07 ALL 168

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.49 ALL 39.78

365.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$18.62 ALL 1,519

145.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.58 ALL 292

18.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.08 ALL 252

-73.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$17.31 ALL 1,412

6.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.09 ALL 170

-0.48%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$39.4K ALL 3.2M

-12.07%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

11.79%

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

$148 €130

$108 ALL 8,832

36.69%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$17.62 ALL 1,437

16.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$18.27 ALL 1,490

116.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$55.8 ALL 4,549

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$25.12 ALL 2,049

-25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.63 ALL 786

-4.26%

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

$616 €539

$161 ALL 13.1K

283.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,544 ALL 452.1K

196.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$68.9 ALL 5,617

49.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$50.0 ALL 4,080

-16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$108 ALL 8,807

-12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$131 ALL 10.7K

-6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$455 ALL 37.1K

259.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$346 ALL 28.2K

255.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$603 ALL 49.2K

413.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$434 ALL 35.4K

367.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,795 ALL 146.4K

336.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,327 ALL 108.2K

230.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,633 in Lisbon versus $455 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $59.0 in Ballsh. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Lisbon vs $278 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 89%, 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 $3,437 per month in Lisbon and $1,816 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 4% 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 $63.0 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 $1,211, than in Lisbon at $2,291. 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.