Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kos

For one person, living is cheaper in Kos: $1,506 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Kos
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Kos Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Kos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Kos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,506 in Kos.

Lisbon $2,210
Kos $1,506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,265 in Kos.

Lisbon $3,275
Kos $2,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,024 in Kos.

Lisbon $4,341
Kos $3,024

Living in Lisbon is roughly 47% more expensive than in Kos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Kos 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$13.93 €12.48

19.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$66.4 €59.5

-7.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.25 €10.08

0.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.01 €3.60

-25.94%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.09 €2.77

-25.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.11 €0.99

56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$4.34 €3.89

-21.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.53 €5.85

-49.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.42 €2.17

-52.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.62 €1.45

17.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.61 €2.34

-42.15%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$4.61 €4.13

-12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$13.08 €11.72

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$10.17 €9.11

-23.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$15.05 €13.49

18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.20 €1.97

4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.00 €1.80

-13.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.36 €1.22

36.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.04 €1.83

26.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.13 €1.01

61.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.14 €1.02

72.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.09 €0.98

34.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.84 €0.76

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$5.39 €4.83

22.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$6.76 €6.06

-17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.01 €1.81

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.56 €2.29

-16.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.83 €1.64

27.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$49.85 €44.67

-10.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.09 €3.67

-5.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.13 €1.02

-5.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$16.47 €14.76

-0.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.09 €1.88

5.26%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$28.0K €25.1K

22.28%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$25.1K €22.5K

54.21%

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

$161 €144

$201 €181

-19.98%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$22.92 €20.54

-19.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$34.73 €31.12

-5.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$50.6 €45.37

-12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$28.52 €25.55

-33.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$8.80 €7.88

9.09%

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

$668 €598

$417 €374

60.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$9,025 €8,087

95.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$89.0 €79.7

14.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$40.15 €35.98

10.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$92.5 €82.9

6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$123 €110

0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$610 €547

163.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$420 €376

183.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$715 €641

293.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$587 €526

242.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$2,594 €2,324

202.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,012 €1,803

127.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$902 €808

74.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.48

-14.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Kos

$420 27.9% 64.7% $770

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Kos

$292 19.4% 7.2% $20

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Kos

$245 16.3% 1% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Kos

$259 17.2% 22% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Kos

$155 10.3% 6.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Kos

$68 4.5% 7% $4.5

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Kos

$67 4.4% 5.9% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $610 in Kos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 75% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $66 in Kos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $292 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇬🇷 Kos

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

30,947

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Kos 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Kos

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 Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kos wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $610 in Kos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $66 in Kos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,506 in Kos – Kos is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kos is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Kos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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