Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mersin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mersin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,172 in Mersin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,701 in Mersin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,230 in Mersin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than Mersin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Mersin is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.40 ₺296

149.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$31.03 ₺1,435

104.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.13 ₺330

45.58%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.99 ₺138

-6.69%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.36 ₺63.0

72.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.59 ₺27.14

166.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.72 ₺172

-7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$5.04 ₺233

-22.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.01 ₺46.82

6.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.82 ₺38.08

115.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.34 ₺108

-26.92%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.10 ₺97.0

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$13.46 ₺623

1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$5.99 ₺277

33.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$21.03 ₺973

-26.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.28 ₺59.1

78.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.06 ₺95.1

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.97 ₺44.81

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.57 ₺72.7

59.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.01 ₺46.85

77.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.64 ₺29.43

214.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.87 ₺40.11

126.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.38 ₺17.64

121.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.17 ₺101

212.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$10.86 ₺503

-47.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.03 ₺94.1

-31.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.88 ₺133

4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.60 ₺27.71

278.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$33.93 ₺1,569

33.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.73 ₺33.72

487.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.65 ₺30.14

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$10.24 ₺474

78.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.12 ₺51.7

77.68%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$43.5K ₺2.0M

-19.39%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$42.8K ₺2.0M

-7.55%

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

$146 €126

$125 ₺5,761

17.39%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$9.90 ₺458

106.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$13.70 ₺634

184.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$30.76 ₺1,423

59.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$10.12 ₺468

86.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$2.59 ₺120

267.57%

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

$608 €524

$450 ₺20.8K

35.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$5,048 ₺233.5K

227.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$50.6 ₺2,341

105.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$64.1 ₺2,967

-34.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$153 ₺7,094

-39.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$50.1 ₺2,317

139.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$505 ₺23.4K

220.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$402 ₺18.6K

215.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$582 ₺26.9K

423.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$618 ₺28.6K

225.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,299 ₺60.1K

490.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$973 ₺45.0K

344.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$808 ₺37.4K

96.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-88.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mersin: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $505 in Mersin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 96% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Mersin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $250 per month, with Mersin 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 Mersin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mersin differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,172 including rent). Mersin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 96% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $505 in Mersin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $450 in Mersin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,172 in Mersin versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mersin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mersin 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 Mersin 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 Mersin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.