Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bialystok

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,461 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Bialystok
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,461
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bialystok

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Bialystok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $1,461 in Bialystok, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Bialystok $1,461

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $2,069 in Bialystok, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Bialystok $2,069

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $2,676 in Bialystok, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Bialystok $2,676

Lisbon costs about 51% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Bialystok sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Bialystok by 8%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$9.91 zł 38.49
71.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$45.57 zł 177
36.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$8.85 zł 34.37
24.52%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$3.55 zł 13.78
-12.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.90 zł 7.40
19.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.51 zł 5.87
15.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$3.57 zł 13.88
-4.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.03 zł 11.75
23.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.06 zł 4.14
10.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.00 zł 3.88
86.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.23 zł 8.65
-30.94%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.76 zł 14.59
7.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$9.39 zł 36.49
37.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$5.62 zł 21.84
40.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$11.23 zł 43.61
57.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.24 zł 4.83
82.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.76 zł 6.84
-0.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.59 zł 6.19
18.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.03 zł 7.90
26.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.06 zł 4.10
74.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.19 zł 4.61
65.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.17 zł 4.55
23.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.60 zł 2.35
28.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$5.08 zł 19.75
32.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$6.12 zł 23.78
-7.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.22 zł 4.73
12.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.54 zł 5.97
37.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.07 zł 4.16
116.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$33.47 zł 130
32.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$2.11 zł 8.19
87.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.66 zł 2.55
59.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$13.02 zł 50.6
31.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.62 zł 6.29
35.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$30.8K zł 119.8K
9.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$28.8K zł 112.0K
32.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$299 zł 1,164
-45.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$8.25 zł 32.05
124.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$18.22 zł 70.8
80.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$41.41 zł 161
10.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$27.67 zł 108
-32.49%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$8.25 zł 32.07
18.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$351 zł 1,363
94.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$4,337 zł 16.9K
306.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$98.1 zł 381
5.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$36.44 zł 142
26.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$87.1 zł 338
14.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$88.4 zł 343
41.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$544 zł 2,113
192.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$502 zł 1,951
132.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$822 zł 3,194
246.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$717 zł 2,786
177.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$2,669 zł 10.4K
191.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$2,324 zł 9,030
90.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Bialystok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$1,447 zł 5,622
10.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
7.07
-45.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bialystok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Bialystok
$502 57.1% $667
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Bialystok
$207 24.3% $66
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Bialystok
$186 24.9% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Bialystok
$326 51.4% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Bialystok
$140 17.2% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Bialystok
$58 11.4% $7.5
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Bialystok
$43 31.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $544 in Bialystok. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $46.00 in Bialystok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $207 – making Bialystok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇵🇱 Bialystok
🕒 Local time
23:05 11:05 PM
00:05 12:05 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
297,554
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Bialystok 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Bialystok

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
Lisbon vs Bialystok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Bialystok?
Lisbon costs about 51% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisbon and in Bialystok?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $2,192 in Bialystok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lisbon or Bialystok?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bialystok, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Bialystok?
Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $351 in Bialystok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisbon or in Bialystok?
Groceries cost about 32% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lisbon or in Bialystok?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bialystok, where all-in costs run around $1,461, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Bialystok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Bialystok?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bialystok costs $1,461 versus $2,202 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Bialystok?
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.
Should I move to Lisbon or to Bialystok?
If budget matters most, go with Bialystok. 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.

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