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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,263 per month in Lisbon vs $919 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,315 per month in Lisbon vs $1,443 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,368 per month in Lisbon vs $1,967 in Elbasan, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 146% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 68% above the global median, while Elbasan is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.64 ALL 787

65.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$32.11 ALL 2,624

97.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.21 ALL 589

43.97%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.79 ALL 146

55.87%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.29 ALL 105

81.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.68 ALL 55.9

130.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.79 ALL 146

91.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.43 ALL 198

60.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.84 ALL 150

-41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.93 ALL 76.3

90.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.56 ALL 128

9.62%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.04 ALL 249

3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.05 ALL 821

36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$5.21 ALL 426

53.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$12.14 ALL 992

27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$0.85 ALL 69.5

169.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.48 ALL 202

-33.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.25 ALL 102

55.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.97 ALL 79.0

158.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.96 ALL 78.1

86.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.09 ALL 88.8

84.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.90 ALL 73.5

118.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 ALL 46.46

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.96 ALL 323

71.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.70 ALL 629

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.90 ALL 73.6

54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.50 ALL 123

101.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.48 ALL 39.39

372.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.18 ALL 1,567

136.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.46 ALL 283

23.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.24 ALL 101

-31.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$13.90 ALL 1,136

31.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.11 ALL 172

-5.69%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

66.57%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

45.62%

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

$146 €126

$68.5 ALL 5,596

113.43%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$17.59 ALL 1,437

16.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$15.13 ALL 1,236

157.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$66.0 ALL 5,392

-25.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$16.22 ALL 1,325

16.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.74 ALL 469

65.85%

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

$608 €524

$142 ALL 11.6K

327.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

837.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$46.55 ALL 3,804

123.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$34.60 ALL 2,827

21.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$93.6 ALL 7,650

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$177 ALL 14.5K

-32.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$284 ALL 23.2K

471.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$196 ALL 16.0K

546.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$423 ALL 34.5K

621.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$296 ALL 24.2K

579.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

467.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$862 ALL 70.5K

401.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$536 ALL 43.8K

195.80%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,621 in Lisbon versus $284 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 196% 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 $32.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 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 146%, 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 $3,394 per month in Lisbon and $1,378 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 30% 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 $32.00 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 $919, than in Lisbon at $2,263. 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.