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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,076 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,618 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,160 in Bursa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Bursa is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$9.65 ₺445

65.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$30.92 ₺1,425

104.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$7.74 ₺357

34.11%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.85 ₺131

-2.11%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$1.12 ₺51.8

108.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.42 ₺19.47

273.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$2.11 ₺97.2

62.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$2.23 ₺103

75.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.87 ₺40.32

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.76 ₺34.86

132.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.95 ₺89.7

-12.31%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$1.93 ₺89.2

63.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$9.18 ₺423

49.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$5.59 ₺258

43.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$18.48 ₺852

-16.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.49 ₺68.7

53.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.28 ₺105

-28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.32 ₺61.0

46.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.62 ₺74.9

54.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.76 ₺34.94

135.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.47 ₺21.44

327.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.82 ₺37.67

140.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.30 ₺13.89

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$2.15 ₺99.1

215.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$10.94 ₺504

-48.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.94 ₺89.4

-28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$2.05 ₺94.6

47.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.69 ₺77.9

34.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$49.28 ₺2,272

-7.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.89 ₺41.01

382.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.65 ₺29.90

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$8.79 ₺405

107.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.15 ₺52.8

73.04%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$41.6K ₺1.9M

-15.87%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$43.5K ₺2.0M

-9.18%

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

$146 €127

$56.4 ₺2,601

159.09%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$9.61 ₺443

112.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$11.71 ₺540

232.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$56.7 ₺2,613

-13.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$37.40 ₺1,724

-49.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$7.57 ₺349

25.76%

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

$608 €527

$366 ₺16.9K

66.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$18.1K ₺832.8K

-8.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$56.2 ₺2,592

84.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$43.80 ₺2,019

-3.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$102 ₺4,717

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$79.0 ₺3,644

51.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$441 ₺20.3K

267.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$340 ₺15.7K

272.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$817 ₺37.7K

273.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$517 ₺23.8K

288.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$1,331 ₺61.4K

475.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$1,191 ₺54.9K

263.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$1,009 ₺46.5K

57.13%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bursa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $441 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 57% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $223 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 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 57% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $441 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 $1,076 in Bursa versus $2,263 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 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.