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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,034 in Mersin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,592 in Mersin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,151 in Mersin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than in Mersin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Mersin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$7.14 ₺347

145.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$30.37 ₺1,475

112.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.71 ₺374

51.10%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.25 ₺158

0.31%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.38 ₺66.9

80.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.29 ₺14.20

475.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.44 ₺118

42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.16 ₺154

13.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.02 ₺49.41

15.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.90 ₺43.55

116.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.81 ₺87.7

-13.81%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.12 ₺103

89.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.52 ₺462

39.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.98 ₺193

111.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$17.89 ₺869

1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.70 ₺82.4

36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.90 ₺92.4

-8.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.90 ₺43.84

114.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.27 ₺61.7

107.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.47 ₺23.03

304.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.38 ₺18.58

455.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.92 ₺44.86

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.65 ₺31.60

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.15 ₺104

226.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.25 ₺498

-42.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.40 ₺117

-43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.35 ₺162

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.69 ₺33.52

244.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$20.45 ₺993

126.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.01 ₺49.12

314.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.54 ₺26.00

103.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$10.22 ₺496

68.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.29 ₺62.7

74.42%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-19.40%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$40.3K ₺2.0M

3.24%

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

$171 €147

$93.5 ₺4,538

82.84%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.97 ₺484

90.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$11.19 ₺544

206.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$53.9 ₺2,615

-7.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$14.67 ₺712

32.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.26 ₺304

61.34%

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

$699 €603

$448 ₺21.8K

55.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,140 ₺346.7K

148.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$46.83 ₺2,274

123.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$29.76 ₺1,445

61.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$117 ₺5,680

-12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$109 ₺5,314

17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$422 ₺20.5K

293.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$323 ₺15.7K

280.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$684 ₺33.2K

326.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$523 ₺25.4K

286.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,295 ₺62.9K

527.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$968 ₺47.0K

378.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$796 ₺38.7K

103.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-89.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mersin: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $422 in Mersin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 103% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Mersin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $220 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,034 including rent). Mersin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 103% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $422 in Mersin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $448 in Mersin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Mersin versus $2,268 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 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.