Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kukes Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kukes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $976 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,436 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,896 in Kukes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 135% more expensive than in Kukes, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kukes is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.38 ALL 765

72.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$37.26 ALL 3,038

69.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.90 ALL 563

49.57%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.86 ALL 151

52.15%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.57 ALL 128

45.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.82 ALL 67.0

92.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.29 ALL 187

48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.24 ALL 264

24.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.56 ALL 127

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.85 ALL 69.3

105.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.02 ALL 164

-12.87%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.04 ALL 248

4.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.29 ALL 757

41.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.21 ALL 588

10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.15 ALL 664

90.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.15 ALL 94.0

106.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.79 ALL 146

-4.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.99 ALL 80.4

103.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.39 ALL 113

74.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.74 ALL 60.1

137.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.79 ALL 64.3

156.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.93 ALL 75.8

106.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.72 ALL 58.9

18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.55 ALL 290

85.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$7.27 ALL 593

-23.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.91 ALL 74.6

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.72 ALL 140

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.49 ALL 40.11

365.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$18.63 ALL 1,519

145.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.59 ALL 293

17.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.16 ALL 257

-74.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$4.63 ALL 377

298.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.11 ALL 172

-1.42%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

-0.83%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

57.25%

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

$148 €130

$67.8 ALL 5,528

118.40%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$17.32 ALL 1,413

18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$16.14 ALL 1,316

145.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$54.9 ALL 4,476

-12.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$25.12 ALL 2,048

-25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$3.46 ALL 282

166.47%

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

$616 €539

$95.4 ALL 7,776

546.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$35.24 ALL 2,874

191.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$23.28 ALL 1,898

79.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$41.26 ALL 3,365

129.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$50.2 ALL 4,091

143.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$442 ALL 36.1K

269.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$346 ALL 28.2K

256.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$603 ALL 49.1K

414.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$429 ALL 35.0K

373.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,835 ALL 149.6K

326.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,204 ALL 98.2K

264.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$520 ALL 42.4K

208.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-4.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Kukes: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $442 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 209% 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 $37.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $199 per month, with Kukes 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 Kukes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kukes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 209% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $442 in Kukes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kukes runs roughly 146% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $95.4 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $976 in Kukes versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kukes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kukes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kukes 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 Kukes 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 Kukes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.