Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elbasan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elbasan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $902 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $1,452 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $2,002 in Elbasan, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 151% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 64% above the global median, while Elbasan is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.20 ALL 805

72.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$37.55 ALL 2,966

71.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.91 ALL 545

68.60%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.79 ALL 142

82.12%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.35 ALL 107

84.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.66 ALL 51.9

153.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.20 ALL 174

57.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.89 ALL 228

23.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.09 ALL 165

-43.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.96 ALL 75.9

103.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.60 ALL 126

-2.50%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.78 ALL 219

44.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$10.31 ALL 814

28.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.03 ALL 477

39.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.92 ALL 941

52.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.23 ALL 96.8

88.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.27 ALL 180

-23.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.36 ALL 107

41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.12 ALL 88.8

135.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.05 ALL 83.1

80.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.10 ALL 87.2

91.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.80 ALL 63.5

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.67 ALL 53.1

19.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.45 ALL 351

57.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.10 ALL 640

-26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.04 ALL 82.1

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.89 ALL 149

13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.52 ALL 41.25

357.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$20.18 ALL 1,594

129.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.85 ALL 304

8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.50 ALL 118

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$15.18 ALL 1,199

13.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.17 ALL 172

3.69%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$29.8K ALL 2.3M

15.86%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$30.0K ALL 2.4M

38.50%

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

$171 €147

$62.9 ALL 4,964

171.89%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$16.02 ALL 1,265

18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$12.07 ALL 954

184.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$59.4 ALL 4,693

-16.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$17.50 ALL 1,382

11.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.38 ALL 346

130.59%

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

$699 €603

$143 ALL 11.3K

388.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$1,916 ALL 151.3K

827.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$75.6 ALL 5,968

38.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$45.47 ALL 3,592

5.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$98.2 ALL 7,756

3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$100 ALL 7,930

27.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$312 ALL 24.6K

432.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$206 ALL 16.3K

494.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$449 ALL 35.4K

549.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$325 ALL 25.7K

521.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,400 ALL 110.5K

480.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$895 ALL 70.7K

417.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$574 ALL 45.3K

182.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.1

-38.03%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $312 in Elbasan. 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 182% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon versus $38.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $218 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 151%, 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 $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $1,353 in Elbasan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon and $38.00 in Elbasan. 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 Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $902, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – 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 Elbasan. 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.