Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Drama Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Drama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,211 in Drama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,784 in Drama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,356 in Drama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 90% more expensive than in Drama, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Drama is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$14.92 €13.00

17.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$45.51 €39.67

38.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$10.35 €9.02

11.88%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.67 €2.32

16.10%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.85 €2.48

-12.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.73 €0.64

138.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.41 €2.97

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.53 €3.94

-24.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.62 €1.41

-29.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.57 €1.37

21.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.13 €0.98

32.74%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$5.36 €4.67

-25.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$11.89 €10.37

11.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.41 €8.20

-14.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.74 €12.85

22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.42 €1.24

65.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.47 €1.28

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.15 €1.00

60.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.25 €1.96

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.94 €0.82

95.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.20 €1.04

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.54 €1.34

-3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.78 €0.68

5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.30 €4.62

33.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.17 €4.51

14.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.00 €0.87

31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.97 €1.72

8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$4.24 €3.69

-3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.13 €0.98

0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$17.04 €14.85

0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.14 €1.86

7.94%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$28.7K €25.0K

19.09%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$30.6K €26.7K

35.18%

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

$169 €147

$196 €171

-14.11%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$24.19 €21.08

-20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$30.31 €26.42

10.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$46.25 €40.32

5.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.87 €6.86

21.60%

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

$696 €607

$494 €430

40.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$9,398 €8,192

84.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$100 €87.2

5.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$23.31 €20.32

104.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$64.7 €56.4

55.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$70.6 €61.5

76.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$323 €281

414.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$309 €269

303.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$516 €450

474.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$421 €367

387.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,570 €1,368

399.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$3,343 €2,914

33.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,194 €1,041

36.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.4

-14.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Drama: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $323 in Drama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 37% 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 $46.00 in Drama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $257 per month, with Drama 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 Drama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $323 in Drama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $494 in Drama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Drama – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,211 in Drama versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Drama but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Drama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drama 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 Drama 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 Drama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.