Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Makarska Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Makarska

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,536 in Makarska.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,449 in Makarska.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,362 in Makarska.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 45% more expensive than Makarska, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Makarska 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$16.36 €14.01

-1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$81.3 €69.6

-20.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.13 €6.96

27.68%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.38 €2.89

-18.05%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$3.60 €3.08

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.67 €2.28

-41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$4.68 €4.01

-25.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.85 €3.30

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.20 €1.02

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.38 €1.18

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$3.00 €2.57

-42.00%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$5.24 €4.48

-39.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$18.25 €15.62

-26.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$11.61 €9.94

-31.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.77 €10.08

36.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.58 €1.35

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.62 €1.38

6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.11 €1.80

-8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.52 €2.16

0.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.48 €1.26

23.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.47 €1.25

38.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.95 €0.81

108.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.14 €0.98

-25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.23 €4.47

30.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.14 €6.11

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.33 €1.14

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.35 €1.16

114.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.77 €1.52

28.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$42.34 €36.24

10.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.08 €2.64

32.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.10 €0.94

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$8.84 €7.57

106.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.75 €1.50

14.86%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$37.5K €32.1K

-6.02%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$25.8K €22.1K

49.03%

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

$145 €124

$188 €161

-22.53%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$23.26 €19.91

-9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$30.61 €26.21

30.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$53.1 €45.44

-8.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$14.99 €12.83

24.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$8.27 €7.08

9.55%

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

$607 €519

$237 €203

155.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,399 €1,197

1067.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$106 €90.5

-1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$46.71 €39.98

-12.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$139 €119

-32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$106 €90.6

11.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$676 €578

137.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$463 €396

166.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,029 €881

195.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$780 €668

163.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,722 €4,042

63.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$3,272 €2,801

30.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.7

-18.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Makarska: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $676 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Makarska for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $294 per month, with Lisbon 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 Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Makarska differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,536 including rent). Makarska is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $2,304 in Makarska 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $676 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $237 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,536 in Makarska versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Makarska 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 Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.