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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,631 in Makarska.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,548 in Makarska.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,465 in Makarska.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 39% more expensive than in Makarska, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Makarska 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$17.72 €15.28

-0.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$81.1 €69.9

-20.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.31 €7.16

40.19%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.39 €2.92

-3.83%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$4.21 €3.63

-40.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$3.17 €2.73

-47.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.85 €5.04

-40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.77 €4.11

-24.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.18 €1.01

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.69 €1.46

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.22 €2.78

-51.55%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$5.10 €4.39

-21.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$15.90 €13.71

-16.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.25 €8.83

-17.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.31 €10.61

48.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.05 €1.77

13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.58 €1.36

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.16 €1.86

-10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.87 €2.48

-8.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.30 €1.98

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.15 €1.85

-1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.66 €1.43

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.72 €1.48

-53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.95 €5.13

17.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.23 €7.09

-28.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.42 €1.22

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.53 €1.32

40.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.53 €1.32

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$40.25 €34.69

14.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.53 €3.04

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.52 €1.31

-27.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$19.23 €16.58

-10.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.69 €1.46

33.14%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.2K €23.5K

26.60%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.4K €22.7K

57.89%

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

$171 €147

$184 €159

-7.33%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$28.88 €24.90

-34.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$44.69 €38.52

-23.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$54.1 €46.67

-8.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$15.93 €13.73

22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.24 €7.96

9.31%

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

$699 €603

$430 €370

62.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,955 €5,995

155.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$94.5 €81.5

10.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$46.65 €40.21

2.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$106 €91.4

-3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$82.0 €70.7

56.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$706 €609

135.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$546 €471

124.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,246 €1,074

133.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$853 €736

137.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,267 €3,679

90.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,941 €2,535

57.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.72

1.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Makarska: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $706 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Makarska for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $306 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 39% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,631 including rent). Makarska is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $2,447 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $706 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $430 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 $1,631 in Makarska versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,500 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 39% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.