Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nicosia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nicosia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,807 in Nicosia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,890 in Nicosia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,973 in Nicosia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 27% more expensive than in Nicosia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Nicosia 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$17.43 €15.23

-7.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$70.3 €61.4

-9.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$8.09 €7.06

27.56%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.80 €3.32

-25.53%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.51 €1.32

51.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.86 €0.76

83.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$4.67 €4.08

-27.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.63 €4.92

-28.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.99 €1.74

-45.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.08 €1.82

-15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.89 €2.52

-39.10%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.48 €3.91

-29.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$13.51 €11.80

-2.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$9.40 €8.21

-15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$12.49 €10.92

24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.93 €2.56

-19.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.04 €1.78

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.19 €1.91

-8.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$3.20 €2.80

-24.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.70 €1.49

3.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.66 €1.45

22.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.80 €0.70

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.05 €0.92

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$5.81 €5.08

13.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$7.83 €6.84

-28.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.03 €1.77

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.07 €2.69

-3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.76 €2.41

-17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$57.7 €50.4

-20.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$5.31 €4.64

-20.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.60 €1.40

-49.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$53.0 €46.31

-65.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.64 €1.43

26.83%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$30.3K €26.5K

14.38%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$32.2K €28.2K

21.53%

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

$148 €129

$217 €189

-31.65%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$21.91 €19.14

-6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$34.92 €30.51

13.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$75.7 €66.1

-36.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$30.13 €26.32

-38.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$11.69 €10.22

-21.13%

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

$616 €538

$489 €427

26.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,438 €7,372

94.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$97.3 €85.0

5.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$63.3 €55.3

-34.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$93.7 €81.9

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$125 €109

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$786 €687

107.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$636 €556

93.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,555 €1,359

99.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$1,281 €1,119

58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$3,107 €2,714

152.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$2,308 €2,016

90.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$1,855 €1,621

-13.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.8

-20.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $786 in Nicosia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nicosia pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $70.0 in Nicosia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $303 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 Nicosia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nicosia differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,807 including rent). Nicosia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Nicosia. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $786 in Nicosia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $489 in Nicosia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,807 in Nicosia versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nicosia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nicosia 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 Nicosia 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 Nicosia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.