Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elblag Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elblag

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,463 in Elblag.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,095 in Elblag.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,727 in Elblag.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 57% more expensive than in Elblag, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Elblag 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$12.59 zł 47.88

39.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$28.33 zł 108

121.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.65 zł 29.10

51.37%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.71 zł 14.13

-16.44%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.24 zł 8.53

11.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.71 zł 6.49

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.12 zł 11.87

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.94 zł 14.97

-12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.08 zł 4.12

6.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.68 zł 6.41

13.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.99 zł 3.76

51.52%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.87 zł 14.70

2.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.07 zł 34.48

46.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.57 zł 28.77

5.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$12.13 zł 46.13

48.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.41 zł 5.35

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.79 zł 6.82

-2.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.60 zł 6.10

15.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.35 zł 12.75

-23.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.84 zł 3.19

119.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.42 zł 5.39

47.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.22 zł 4.62

22.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.54 zł 2.07

51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.31 zł 16.40

64.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.77 zł 25.73

-12.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.55 zł 2.10

138.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.47 zł 5.58

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.07 zł 4.07

120.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$25.61 zł 97.4

82.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.31 zł 8.80

76.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.87 zł 3.31

31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$10.57 zł 40.19

61.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.58 zł 6.02

46.20%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$32.4K zł 123.0K

5.48%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$26.6K zł 101.2K

55.45%

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

$169 €147

$269 zł 1,024

-37.39%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$8.41 zł 31.99

129.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$14.80 zł 56.3

126.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$43.27 zł 165

12.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$22.78 zł 86.6

-14.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.56 zł 21.16

72.12%

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

$696 €607

$342 zł 1,301

103.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,976 zł 7,514

778.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$83.5 zł 317

26.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$39.01 zł 148

22.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$91.9 zł 349

9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$104 zł 394

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$624 zł 2,372

166.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$530 zł 2,016

135.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$970 zł 3,689

205.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$819 zł 3,113

150.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,250 zł 8,556

248.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,368 zł 9,006

88.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,358 zł 5,165

20.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.89

-45.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Elblag: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $624 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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 $28.00 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $225 per month, with Elblag 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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elblag is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $624 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Elblag – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,463 in Elblag versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elblag but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Elblag the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Elblag 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 Elblag 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 Elblag gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.