Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paks

For one person, living is cheaper in Paks: $1,154 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Paks, Hungary
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Paks
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,154
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Paks

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Paks actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,154 in Paks.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Paks $1,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,725 in Paks.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Paks $1,725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,297 in Paks.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Paks $2,297

Living in Lisbon is roughly 92% more expensive than in Paks, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Paks is 15% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$8.53 Ft 2,814
95.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$30.18 Ft 9,948
104.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$7.20 Ft 2,374
57.78%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$0.88 Ft 290
237.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.16 Ft 382
97.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.85 Ft 279
104.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$1.25 Ft 411
172.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$1.94 Ft 640
70.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.16 Ft 381
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.59 Ft 196
223.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.35 Ft 776
-35.74%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$3.35 Ft 1,104
20.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$10.84 Ft 3,574
19.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$6.35 Ft 2,093
22.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$13.65 Ft 4,501
30.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$1.77 Ft 583
29.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.04 Ft 673
-15.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.09 Ft 689
-11.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$3.84 Ft 1,267
-32.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$0.53 Ft 176
243.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.54 Ft 177
264.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.51 Ft 498
-2.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.51 Ft 167
41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$7.71 Ft 2,543
-14.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$5.94 Ft 1,959
-5.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.22 Ft 402
11.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.59 Ft 524
34.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.23 Ft 407
89.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$23.44 Ft 7,729
90.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$3.10 Ft 1,021
24.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.56 Ft 515
-31.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$18.53 Ft 6,109
-11.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.90 Ft 626
15.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$32.4K Ft 10.7M
5.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$35.9K Ft 11.8M
7.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$136 Ft 44.7K
18.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$10.22 Ft 3,371
80.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$11.80 Ft 3,890
177.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$55.6 Ft 18.3K
-19.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$20.83 Ft 6,867
-8.31%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$7.76 Ft 2,560
23.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$250 Ft 82.4K
167.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$7,365 Ft 2.4M
139.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$89.7 Ft 29.6K
13.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$13.48 Ft 4,445
229.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$96.3 Ft 31.7K
2.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$107 Ft 35.2K
15.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$520 Ft 171.5K
209.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$400 Ft 131.7K
197.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$744 Ft 245.2K
278.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$644 Ft 212.2K
212.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$3,225 Ft 1.1M
143.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$2,533 Ft 835.2K
80.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Paks
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$1,255 Ft 413.7K
25.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
8.25
-53.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Paks: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Paks
$400 66.4% $791
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Paks
$230 15.5% $42
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Paks
$119 51.1% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Paks
$158 25.8% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Paks
$138 17% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Paks
$71 11.6% $7.4
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Paks
$39 37.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $520 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 26% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $30 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $230 per month, with Paks cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇭🇺 Paks
🕒 Local time
21:19 9:19 PM
22:19 10:19 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
17,917
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Paks 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Paks

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Paks: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Paks?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,154 in Paks, so Paks is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Paks?
Average pay runs 26% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Paks?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $520 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Paks?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $250 in Paks. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,154 in Paks versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paks the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Paks?
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.
Is Lisbon or Paks safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Paks are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Paks?
Expats usually find Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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