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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,280 per month in Lisbon vs $917 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,294 per month in Lisbon vs $1,433 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,307 per month in Lisbon vs $1,949 in Elbasan, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 149% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 71% above the global median, while Elbasan is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$9.47 ALL 776

66.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$32.67 ALL 2,678

94.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$7.12 ALL 584

46.77%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.80 ALL 148

61.67%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.29 ALL 105

77.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.75 ALL 61.1

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.81 ALL 148

96.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.30 ALL 188

72.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.80 ALL 148

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.92 ALL 75.7

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.49 ALL 122

14.09%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$3.00 ALL 246

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$9.69 ALL 794

36.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$5.44 ALL 446

41.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$12.45 ALL 1,021

26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.87 ALL 71.1

162.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.37 ALL 194

-29.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.25 ALL 103

61.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$0.93 ALL 76.2

165.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.01 ALL 82.4

77.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.03 ALL 84.6

100.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.90 ALL 73.6

118.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.57 ALL 46.45

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.96 ALL 324

65.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$8.13 ALL 666

-31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.90 ALL 73.6

47.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.43 ALL 117

110.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.48 ALL 39.35

372.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$18.61 ALL 1,525

149.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$3.43 ALL 281

23.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.28 ALL 105

-33.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$14.32 ALL 1,173

31.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.18 ALL 179

-7.34%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$21.6K ALL 1.8M

61.94%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$27.7K ALL 2.3M

43.29%

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

$148 €129

$66.8 ALL 5,471

121.58%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$17.59 ALL 1,442

16.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$15.21 ALL 1,246

159.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$66.0 ALL 5,410

-27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$16.18 ALL 1,326

13.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$5.67 ALL 465

60.49%

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

$615 €536

$139 ALL 11.4K

342.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$1,791 ALL 146.8K

809.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$47.58 ALL 3,899

113.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$34.42 ALL 2,821

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$95.5 ALL 7,827

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$179 ALL 14.7K

-31.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$286 ALL 23.4K

463.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$194 ALL 15.9K

547.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$415 ALL 34.0K

638.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$296 ALL 24.2K

588.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,310 ALL 107.4K

491.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$866 ALL 70.9K

395.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$550 ALL 45.1K

191.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.1

-37.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Lisbon versus $286 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 191% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $33.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $206 – 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 149%, 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 $3,420 per month in Lisbon and $1,375 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 $63.0 in Lisbon and $33.00 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 $917, than in Lisbon at $2,280. 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.