Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Koło

For one person, living is cheaper in Koło: $1,435 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Koło, Poland
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Koło
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,435
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Koło

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 Koło actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,435 in Koło.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Koło $1,435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,068 in Koło.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Koło $2,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,701 in Koło.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Koło $2,701

Living in Lisbon is roughly 54% more expensive than in Koło, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Koło 5% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$9.38 zł 37.10
77.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$42.60 zł 169
44.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$8.64 zł 34.17
31.48%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$3.39 zł 13.43
-12.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.11 zł 8.36
8.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.63 zł 6.44
6.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$3.53 zł 13.97
-3.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.83 zł 15.15
-13.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$0.99 zł 3.93
17.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.20 zł 4.74
59.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.38 zł 5.45
9.42%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$3.33 zł 13.17
20.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$8.38 zł 33.18
54.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$7.22 zł 28.59
7.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$11.48 zł 45.42
54.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$1.04 zł 4.12
121.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.65 zł 6.52
4.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.63 zł 6.45
14.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$2.72 zł 10.76
-4.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$0.88 zł 3.47
106.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.04 zł 4.13
89.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.32 zł 5.21
11.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.66 zł 2.60
9.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$5.25 zł 20.79
25.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$6.62 zł 26.19
-15.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.08 zł 4.28
25.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.50 zł 5.95
42.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.06 zł 4.21
119.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$26.93 zł 107
65.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$1.77 zł 6.99
117.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.75 zł 2.98
42.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$8.65 zł 34.23
90.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.64 zł 6.48
34.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$31.3K zł 124.0K
9.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$28.9K zł 114.3K
34.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$282 zł 1,115
-42.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$8.53 zł 33.75
115.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$17.42 zł 68.9
87.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$32.89 zł 130
35.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$21.05 zł 83.3
-9.26%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$6.62 zł 26.20
45.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$378 zł 1,495
76.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$8,360 zł 33.1K
110.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$80.6 zł 319
26.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$38.05 zł 151
16.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$87.7 zł 347
12.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$101 zł 402
21.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$598 zł 2,365
169.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$512 zł 2,028
132.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$984 zł 3,895
185.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$819 zł 3,242
145.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$2,928 zł 11.6K
167.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,892 zł 7,485
141.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Koło
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.74
-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Koło: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Koło
$512 56.9% $678
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Koło
$211 22.5% $61
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Koło
$182 25% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Koło
$308 44.9% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Koło
$139 16.5% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Koło
$46 27.6% $18
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Koło
$37 41.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $598 in Koło. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $43 in Koło for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $211 per month, with Koło cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇵🇱 Koło
🕒 Local time
01:20 1:20 AM
02:20 2:20 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
21,035
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.96 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Koło 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Koło

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Koło: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Koło?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,435 in Koło, so Koło is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Koło?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,152 in Koło to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Koło?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $598 in Koło. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Lisbon and in Koło?
A monthly transit pass in Koło runs roughly 40% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Koło?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $378 in Koło. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,435 in Koło versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koło but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Koło the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Koło?
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.
Is Lisbon or Koło safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Koło are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Koło?
Expats usually find Koło gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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