Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Karlovy Vary Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Karlovy Vary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,530 in Karlovy Vary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,488 in Karlovy Vary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,447 in Karlovy Vary.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than in Karlovy Vary, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Karlovy Vary 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$9.59 Kč 199

80.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$45.86 Kč 953

37.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.27 Kč 193

22.87%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.11 Kč 64.6

2.57%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.81 Kč 37.65

35.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.42 Kč 29.51

23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.21 Kč 45.89

62.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.01 Kč 41.83

68.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.17 Kč 24.25

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.51 Kč 31.47

31.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.41 Kč 50.1

-36.93%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.94 Kč 61.0

37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$12.76 Kč 265

6.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$7.38 Kč 153

13.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$17.36 Kč 361

5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.98 Kč 41.05

15.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.80 Kč 37.41

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.15 Kč 44.71

-13.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.58 Kč 74.4

-26.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.08 Kč 22.37

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.10 Kč 22.94

90.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.24 Kč 25.71

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.81 Kč 16.79

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$7.75 Kč 161

-12.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.30 Kč 152

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.99 Kč 20.63

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.73 Kč 36.01

28.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.44 Kč 50.8

-1.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$25.93 Kč 539

80.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.95 Kč 61.3

41.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.53 Kč 31.73

-25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$17.53 Kč 364

0.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.87 Kč 38.94

24.06%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$28.6K Kč 593.7K

23.71%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$24.9K Kč 516.9K

66.64%

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

$170 €146

$260 Kč 5,398

-34.41%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$23.92 Kč 497

-19.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$19.57 Kč 407

71.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$59.0 Kč 1,226

-18.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$22.39 Kč 465

-11.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.37 Kč 153

34.60%

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

$717 €617

$195 Kč 4,052

267.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,888 Kč 60.0K

505.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$88.8 Kč 1,846

17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$39.05 Kč 812

20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$108 Kč 2,244

-4.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$129 Kč 2,672

-3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$729 Kč 15.2K

129.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$496 Kč 10.3K

156.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,695 Kč 35.2K

76.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,390 Kč 28.9K

43.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$7,091 Kč 147.4K

10.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$5,212 Kč 108.3K

-10.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,443 Kč 30.0K

9.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.64

-18.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Karlovy Vary: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $729 in Karlovy Vary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 10% 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 $46.00 in Karlovy Vary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $266 per month, with Karlovy Vary 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 Karlovy Vary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlovy Vary is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $729 in Karlovy Vary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karlovy Vary – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,530 in Karlovy Vary – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,530 in Karlovy Vary versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovy Vary but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovy Vary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Karlovy Vary 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 Karlovy Vary 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 Karlovy Vary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.