Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Krakow Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Krakow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,773 in Krakow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,539 in Krakow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,305 in Krakow.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 29% more expensive than in Krakow, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Krakow 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$10.91 zł 41.39

48.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$53.7 zł 204

17.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.55 zł 36.22

8.06%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.98 zł 15.09

-28.89%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.21 zł 8.40

3.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.26 zł 8.59

-30.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.16 zł 15.79

-18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.04 zł 15.34

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.16 zł 4.39

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.45 zł 5.51

20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.46 zł 5.54

20.55%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.61 zł 13.68

-12.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.98 zł 34.07

46.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.51 zł 24.68

22.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$11.52 zł 43.69

34.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.25 zł 4.75

89.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.74 zł 6.61

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.80 zł 6.83

11.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.03 zł 11.50

-19.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.02 zł 3.86

72.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.06 zł 4.01

91.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.30 zł 4.94

47.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.71 zł 2.68

19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.59 zł 21.19

17.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.44 zł 24.45

-13.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.23 zł 4.67

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.70 zł 6.44

74.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.11 zł 4.23

105.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$39.41 zł 150

16.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.51 zł 9.53

68.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.99 zł 3.74

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$13.03 zł 49.43

41.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.69 zł 6.42

23.08%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$33.1K zł 125.7K

4.66%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$32.5K zł 123.2K

20.61%

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

$148 €130

$278 zł 1,056

-46.81%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$9.20 zł 34.89

122.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$16.58 zł 62.9

138.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$38.22 zł 145

25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$22.23 zł 84.3

-16.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$8.05 zł 30.54

14.53%

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

$616 €540

$437 zł 1,657

41.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$12.9K zł 48.9K

27.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$76.7 zł 291

33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$45.54 zł 173

-8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$101 zł 384

-6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$113 zł 428

8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$904 zł 3,430

80.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$757 zł 2,873

62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,601 zł 6,073

93.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,154 zł 4,379

76.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$5,725 zł 21.7K

36.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,721 zł 14.1K

17.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,883 zł 7,146

-14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.77

-50.97%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Krakow: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $904 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $54.0 in Krakow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $221 per month, with Krakow 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 Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Krakow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Krakow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $904 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Krakow – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,773 in Krakow versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krakow but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Krakow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Krakow delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,773 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Krakow hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Krakow 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 Krakow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.