Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bursa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bursa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,041 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,623 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,204 in Bursa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 115% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Bursa is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$9.48 ₺426

65.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$30.81 ₺1,385

105.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.47 ₺336

38.15%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.74 ₺123

2.55%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.13 ₺50.7

106.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.43 ₺19.22

251.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.13 ₺95.8

58.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.23 ₺100

75.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$0.93 ₺41.95

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.78 ₺35.02

124.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.95 ₺87.9

-10.26%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.96 ₺88.0

58.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$9.45 ₺425

40.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$5.81 ₺261

35.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$18.94 ₺851

-15.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.48 ₺66.7

61.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.29 ₺103

-24.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.29 ₺57.8

52.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.56 ₺70.3

63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.74 ₺33.37

141.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.46 ₺20.60

328.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.89 ₺39.82

120.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.28 ₺12.40

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.22 ₺99.7

207.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$11.04 ₺496

-47.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.04 ₺91.6

-32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.00 ₺89.7

46.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.69 ₺75.9

35.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$48.58 ₺2,184

-3.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.87 ₺39.15

373.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.62 ₺27.66

30.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$8.93 ₺401

112.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.21 ₺54.5

72.73%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$41.4K ₺1.9M

-15.10%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-9.33%

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

$150 €128

$56.0 ₺2,516

167.17%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$9.80 ₺441

109.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$11.65 ₺524

236.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$56.6 ₺2,543

-12.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$37.76 ₺1,697

-51.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$7.85 ₺353

17.20%

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

$624 €533

$375 ₺16.8K

66.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$18.1K ₺812.3K

-11.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$57.1 ₺2,566

78.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$43.62 ₺1,961

-6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$99.9 ₺4,489

-4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$81.8 ₺3,676

48.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$437 ₺19.6K

278.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$346 ₺15.5K

256.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$802 ₺36.0K

279.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$515 ₺23.1K

300.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,341 ₺60.3K

487.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,224 ₺55.0K

251.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,054 ₺47.4K

48.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

42.62

-91.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Bursa: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $437 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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: $63 in Lisbon vs $31 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $227 per month, with Bursa cheaper across the board.

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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 49% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $437 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,041 in Bursa versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa 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, Lisbon and Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.