Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lake Balaton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lake Balaton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,116 in Lake Balaton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,690 in Lake Balaton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,264 in Lake Balaton.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 103% more expensive than Lake Balaton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Lake Balaton is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$8.68 Ft 2,677

83.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$45.60 Ft 14.1K

38.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$8.53 Ft 2,630

21.69%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$2.08 Ft 641

34.13%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$1.40 Ft 432

67.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.93 Ft 287

68.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$1.92 Ft 593

78.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$2.11 Ft 652

85.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.05 Ft 324

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.49 Ft 459

18.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.90 Ft 585

-10.00%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.63 Ft 812

19.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$9.06 Ft 2,795

50.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$6.00 Ft 1,851

33.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$11.96 Ft 3,687

29.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.79 Ft 553

27.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.89 Ft 582

-13.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.03 Ft 627

-4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$2.84 Ft 875

-11.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.10 Ft 339

62.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.18 Ft 364

70.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.50 Ft 462

31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.52 Ft 159

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$6.73 Ft 2,076

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$5.96 Ft 1,839

-4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.04 Ft 320

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.46 Ft 449

106.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.18 Ft 364

92.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$25.54 Ft 7,875

77.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$2.83 Ft 872

51.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.17 Ft 360

-27.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$17.59 Ft 5,424

3.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.71 Ft 527

16.37%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$26.4K Ft 8.1M

32.76%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$31.2K Ft 9.6M

26.91%

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

$146 €127

$145 Ft 44.8K

0.52%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$26.43 Ft 8,152

-22.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$19.38 Ft 5,975

101.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$47.16 Ft 14.5K

3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$16.63 Ft 5,127

13.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$7.60 Ft 2,343

25.26%

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

$608 €527

$296 Ft 91.4K

105.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$6,628 Ft 2.0M

149.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$69.8 Ft 21.5K

48.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$26.80 Ft 8,263

57.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$70.6 Ft 21.8K

30.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$78.8 Ft 24.3K

52.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$440 Ft 135.7K

268.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$347 Ft 106.9K

265.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$645 Ft 198.8K

372.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$536 Ft 165.4K

274.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$2,942 Ft 907.2K

160.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$2,335 Ft 720.0K

85.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.4

-48.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lake Balaton: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $440 in Lake Balaton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Lake Balaton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $217 per month, with Lake Balaton 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 Lake Balaton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Balaton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $1,674 in Lake Balaton 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $440 in Lake Balaton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $296 in Lake Balaton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,116 in Lake Balaton versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lake Balaton but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lake Balaton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lake Balaton 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 Lake Balaton 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 Lake Balaton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.