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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Lake Balaton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,693 in Lake Balaton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,278 in Lake Balaton.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Lake Balaton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Lake Balaton is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$8.45 Ft 2,680

85.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$46.31 Ft 14.7K

35.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$8.72 Ft 2,765

20.76%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$2.09 Ft 664

37.80%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$1.35 Ft 428

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.92 Ft 291

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$1.85 Ft 586

83.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$2.12 Ft 671

83.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.11 Ft 351

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.51 Ft 478

14.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.91 Ft 607

-7.85%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$2.65 Ft 840

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$9.32 Ft 2,955

42.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$5.94 Ft 1,885

32.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$11.60 Ft 3,679

36.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.79 Ft 568

34.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$2.00 Ft 633

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.00 Ft 634

1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$2.83 Ft 896

-10.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.07 Ft 339

73.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.18 Ft 373

74.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.44 Ft 456

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.57 Ft 180

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$6.67 Ft 2,114

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$5.97 Ft 1,893

-3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.08 Ft 342

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$1.43 Ft 453

111.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$1.14 Ft 360

104.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$24.69 Ft 7,827

84.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$2.79 Ft 883

46.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.12 Ft 355

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$17.07 Ft 5,414

9.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.69 Ft 535

18.34%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$26.0K Ft 8.2M

36.34%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$30.7K Ft 9.7M

27.22%

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

$150 €132

$144 Ft 45.6K

4.47%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$26.78 Ft 8,492

-23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$19.36 Ft 6,139

103.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$46.44 Ft 14.7K

3.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$16.86 Ft 5,345

10.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$7.26 Ft 2,302

28.10%

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

$628 €552

$289 Ft 91.7K

117.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$6,600 Ft 2.1M

149.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$71.3 Ft 22.6K

42.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$27.71 Ft 8,788

49.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$70.6 Ft 22.4K

31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$78.9 Ft 25.0K

55.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$441 Ft 139.7K

269.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$351 Ft 111.2K

251.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$628 Ft 199.1K

397.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$530 Ft 168.0K

288.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$2,959 Ft 938.4K

162.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$2,322 Ft 736.1K

88.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lake Balaton: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $441 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 $218 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 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,662 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $441 in Lake Balaton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $289 in Lake Balaton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,108 in Lake Balaton versus $2,210 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 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.