Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Heraklion

For one person, living is cheaper in Heraklion: $1,612 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Heraklion
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Heraklion Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Heraklion

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Heraklion

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Heraklion actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,612 in Heraklion.

Lisbon $2,210
Heraklion $1,612

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,516 in Heraklion.

Lisbon $3,275
Heraklion $2,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,420 in Heraklion.

Lisbon $4,341
Heraklion $3,420

Living in Lisbon is roughly 37% more expensive than in Heraklion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Heraklion 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$12.90 €11.56

29.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$55.5 €49.75

11.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$10.19 €9.13

11.48%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$3.69 €3.31

-19.51%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.45 €2.19

-6.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.75 €0.67

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$5.47 €4.90

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$5.27 €4.72

-37.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.73 €1.55

-32.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.45 €1.30

31.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.57 €2.30

-41.25%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$4.50 €4.03

-10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$15.89 €14.24

-18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$10.49 €9.40

-25.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$15.31 €13.72

16.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.13 €1.91

7.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.07 €1.85

-16.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.41 €1.26

31.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.68 €1.51

54.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.18 €1.06

54.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.17 €1.05

68.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.95 €0.86

54.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.75 €0.67

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$4.88 €4.37

34.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$8.04 €7.21

-30.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.22 €1.99

-38.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.88 €2.58

-25.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.46 €1.31

59.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$68.9 €61.7

-35.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.36 €3.90

-11.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.10 €0.99

-2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$11.35 €10.17

45.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$28.5K €25.5K

20.15%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$24.5K €22.0K

57.92%

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

$161 €144

$194 €174

-16.88%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$29.91 €26.80

-38.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$38.16 €34.20

-14.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$54.7 €49.03

-18.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$39.02 €34.97

-51.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$9.07 €8.13

5.84%

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

$668 €598

$412 €370

61.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$4,013 €3,596

338.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$91.0 €81.5

12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$43.15 €38.67

3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$83.2 €74.6

18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$133 €119

-7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$666 €597

141.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$511 €458

132.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,209 €1,084

132.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$997 €893

102.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$3,562 €3,192

120.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,653 €2,378

72.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,108 €993

42.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.44

-13.29%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Heraklion

$511 31.7% 57% $679

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Heraklion

$295 18.3% 8.3% $23

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Heraklion

$229 14.2% 5.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Heraklion

$262 16.3% 23.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Heraklion

$158 9.8% 4.9% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Heraklion

$73 4.5% 14.3% $9.1

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Heraklion

$85 5.3% 33.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $666 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $56 in Heraklion. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $295, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇬🇷 Heraklion

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

140,730

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Heraklion 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $666 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $412 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Heraklion gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Heraklion are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Heraklion wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.