Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Heraklion Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Heraklion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,543 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,476 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,409 in Heraklion.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 44% more expensive than Heraklion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Heraklion 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$13.64 €11.67

18.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$57.5 €49.24

12.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$11.68 €10.00

-11.13%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.92 €3.36

-29.34%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.26 €1.94

-0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.56 €0.48

180.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$5.69 €4.87

-38.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$5.66 €4.85

-29.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.91 €1.64

-43.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.51 €1.29

15.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.65 €2.27

-34.34%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$5.79 €4.95

-45.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$16.90 €14.47

-20.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$11.73 €10.04

-31.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$14.64 €12.53

9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.23 €1.91

2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.11 €1.80

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.49 €1.28

30.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.85 €1.58

37.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.29 €1.11

41.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.53 €1.31

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.95 €0.81

108.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.67 €0.57

26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.39 €4.61

27.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$8.17 €7.00

-29.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.07 €1.78

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.31 €2.83

-12.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.59 €1.36

43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$46.07 €39.43

1.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$4.69 €4.02

-13.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$11.61 €9.94

57.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$2.11 €1.80

-4.74%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$35.1K €30.1K

0.40%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$25.7K €22.0K

49.79%

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

$145 €124

$219 €188

-33.70%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$23.45 €20.07

-10.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$37.26 €31.89

7.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$51.5 €44.11

-5.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$41.21 €35.28

-54.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$9.11 €7.80

-0.55%

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

$607 €519

$423 €362

43.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,237 €3,627

285.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$99.5 €85.1

5.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$46.92 €40.17

-12.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$89.6 €76.7

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$136 €117

-13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$545 €466

194.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$415 €355

197.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,039 €890

193.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$889 €761

131.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,071 €3,485

89.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$2,861 €2,449

49.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,147 €982

38.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.44

-14.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $545 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 38% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Heraklion. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $312, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 38% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $545 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $423 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,543 in Heraklion versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Heraklion 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 Heraklion 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 Heraklion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.