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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $753 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,133 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,513 in Kukes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 201% more expensive than in Kukes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Kukes is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.88 ALL 306

352.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$22.80 ALL 1,801

182.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.69 ALL 607

51.50%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.51 ALL 119

115.89%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.37 ALL 108

81.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.69 ALL 54.8

142.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.88 ALL 148

84.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.26 ALL 178

58.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.66 ALL 131

-28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.85 ALL 67.4

129.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.07 ALL 164

-24.64%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.75 ALL 217

45.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.70 ALL 766

36.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.42 ALL 586

13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.92 ALL 862

66.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.98 ALL 77.8

136.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.98 ALL 156

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.04 ALL 82.1

85.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.69 ALL 134

56.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.79 ALL 62.8

140.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.09 ALL 85.7

93.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.09 ALL 86.2

32.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.67 ALL 52.8

19.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.52 ALL 357

55.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.79 ALL 615

-24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.11 ALL 87.5

22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.67 ALL 132

28.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.49 ALL 38.95

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$20.48 ALL 1,617

125.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.89 ALL 307

7.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.97 ALL 313

-72.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.98 ALL 394

246.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.27 ALL 179

-0.88%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$34.2K ALL 2.7M

0.66%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.5K ALL 2.0M

62.90%

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

$171 €147

$63.3 ALL 4,998

170.04%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$16.46 ALL 1,300

15.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$17.83 ALL 1,408

92.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$58.1 ALL 4,589

-14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$12.75 ALL 1,007

53.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.89 ALL 307

159.64%

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

$699 €603

$103 ALL 8,134

578.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$37.62 ALL 2,971

178.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$28.63 ALL 2,261

67.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$51.3 ALL 4,054

98.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$44.62 ALL 3,524

187.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$240 ALL 19.0K

591.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$175 ALL 13.8K

603.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$287 ALL 22.6K

916.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$213 ALL 16.8K

848.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,915 ALL 151.2K

324.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,264 ALL 99.9K

266.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$545 ALL 43.0K

197.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-24.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Kukes: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $240 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 197% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $214 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 201% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 197% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $240 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 126% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $103 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $753 in Kukes versus $2,268 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 201% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.