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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,111 in Lake Balaton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,684 in Lake Balaton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,257 in Lake Balaton.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 104% more expensive than in Lake Balaton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Lake Balaton is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$8.76 Ft 2,744

100.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$46.68 Ft 14.6K

38.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.54 Ft 2,675

36.42%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.00 Ft 627

63.00%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.36 Ft 425

83.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.01 Ft 315

65.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.89 Ft 592

83.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.11 Ft 660

69.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.05 Ft 329

12.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.56 Ft 489

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.90 Ft 596

-17.89%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.70 Ft 845

48.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.46 Ft 2,962

40.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.80 Ft 1,818

45.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.96 Ft 3,745

52.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.80 Ft 564

28.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.00 Ft 626

-13.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.99 Ft 623

-3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.92 Ft 914

-9.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.06 Ft 331

79.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.18 Ft 368

78.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.49 Ft 466

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.51 Ft 161

56.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.91 Ft 2,165

1.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.81 Ft 1,819

1.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.03 Ft 324

32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.48 Ft 462

45.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.14 Ft 356

108.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$25.47 Ft 7,978

81.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.83 Ft 888

48.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.13 Ft 353

-2.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$17.46 Ft 5,468

-1.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.67 Ft 524

34.73%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$25.5K Ft 8.0M

35.05%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$30.4K Ft 9.5M

36.71%

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

$171 €147

$142 Ft 44.4K

20.47%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$26.40 Ft 8,268

-27.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$19.81 Ft 6,206

73.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$46.80 Ft 14.7K

6.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$17.10 Ft 5,358

14.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.23 Ft 2,266

39.70%

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

$699 €603

$298 Ft 93.4K

134.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,424 Ft 2.0M

176.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$71.5 Ft 22.4K

46.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$27.54 Ft 8,627

74.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.2 Ft 22.9K

39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$78.9 Ft 24.7K

62.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$439 Ft 137.4K

278.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$341 Ft 106.8K

260.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$639 Ft 200.2K

356.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$525 Ft 164.5K

285.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,974 Ft 931.6K

173.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,270 Ft 711.1K

104.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.4

-48.92%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lake Balaton: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $439 in Lake Balaton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Lake Balaton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $219 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 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,666 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $439 in Lake Balaton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $298 in Lake Balaton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,111 in Lake Balaton versus $2,268 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 104% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.