Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Moscow Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Moscow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,648 in Moscow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,603 in Moscow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,557 in Moscow.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 34% more expensive than Moscow, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Moscow 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$12.91 ₽953

23.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$56.8 ₽4,192

14.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$6.28 ₽463

67.36%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.16 ₽233

-9.18%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.38 ₽102

62.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.68 ₽50.3

120.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.54 ₽335

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.51 ₽333

-13.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.33 ₽97.9

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.89 ₽65.5

96.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.76 ₽130

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.85 ₽137

74.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$12.90 ₽952

4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.89 ₽435

34.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.24 ₽903

29.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.89 ₽140

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.11 ₽156

-19.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.36 ₽174

-14.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.15 ₽306

-40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.98 ₽72.4

87.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.85 ₽62.4

135.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.72 ₽127

12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.81 ₽59.9

-2.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.10 ₽229

113.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$10.90 ₽804

-47.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.09 ₽80.1

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.37 ₽175

25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.87 ₽64.4

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$38.26 ₽2,824

19.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.52 ₽186

70.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.47 ₽34.89

74.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$8.10 ₽597

125.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.81 ₽59.9

154.32%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.1K ₽2.8M

-10.07%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$37.2K ₽2.7M

5.75%

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

$148 €127

$151 ₽11.1K

-2.01%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$7.97 ₽588

157.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$7.99 ₽590

395.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$46.81 ₽3,454

2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$34.68 ₽2,559

-45.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.26 ₽462

46.65%

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

$614 €529

$707 ₽52.1K

-13.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$14.5K ₽1.1M

10.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$87.9 ₽6,484

19.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$53.3 ₽3,935

-21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$131 ₽9,631

-28.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$159 ₽11.7K

-24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,317 ₽97.2K

23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$734 ₽54.1K

71.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$3,005 ₽221.7K

0.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,393 ₽102.8K

45.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$11.7K ₽865.8K

-33.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$5,027 ₽370.9K

-15.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$2,075 ₽153.1K

-22.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

24.39

-84.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Moscow: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,317 in Moscow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moscow pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $57.0 in Moscow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $247 per month, with Moscow 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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Moscow differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,648 including rent). Moscow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Moscow earns 29% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,317 in Moscow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $707 in Moscow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,648 in Moscow versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Moscow but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Moscow 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 Moscow 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 Moscow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.