Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Izmir Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Izmir

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,218 in Izmir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,912 in Izmir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,605 in Izmir.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than in Izmir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Izmir is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.15 ₺493

72.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$36.97 ₺1,795

74.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.33 ₺405

39.86%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.68 ₺179

-11.41%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.51 ₺73.4

64.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.53 ₺25.94

215.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.14 ₺152

10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.12 ₺249

-30.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.10 ₺53.3

7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.97 ₺47.06

101.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.27 ₺110

-31.28%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.55 ₺124

57.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.76 ₺474

35.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.21 ₺253

61.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$22.57 ₺1,096

-19.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.01 ₺97.7

15.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.16 ₺105

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.22 ₺59.2

58.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.46 ₺70.7

80.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.53 ₺25.67

258.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.36 ₺17.45

486.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.16 ₺56.2

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.80 ₺38.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.30 ₺112

204.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.77 ₺572

-49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.14 ₺104

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.13 ₺152

-31.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.68 ₺33.26

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$42.17 ₺2,047

9.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.57 ₺173

17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.03 ₺50.3

6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.12 ₺249

237.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.35 ₺65.3

66.67%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$41.5K ₺2.0M

-16.98%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$46.2K ₺2.2M

-9.87%

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

$171 €147

$85.3 ₺4,142

100.30%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$10.58 ₺514

79.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$16.00 ₺777

114.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$65.2 ₺3,166

-23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$36.50 ₺1,772

-46.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.03 ₺390

25.78%

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

$699 €603

$741 ₺36.0K

-5.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$15.6K ₺755.4K

14.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$48.11 ₺2,336

117.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$39.69 ₺1,927

20.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$91.1 ₺4,425

11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$84.9 ₺4,121

51.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$604 ₺29.3K

174.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$429 ₺20.8K

186.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,152 ₺55.9K

153.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$803 ₺39.0K

151.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,488 ₺72.2K

446.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,025 ₺49.8K

352.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,147 ₺55.7K

41.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

42.33

-91.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Izmir: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $604 in Izmir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 41% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Izmir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $255 per month, with Izmir 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 Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Izmir wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Izmir the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $604 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,218 in Izmir – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Izmir runs roughly 10% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,218 in Izmir versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Izmir but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Izmir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Izmir delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,218 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Izmir hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Izmir 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 Izmir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.