Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pecs

For one person, living is cheaper in Pecs: $1,357 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Pecs
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,357
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Pecs

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 Pecs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,357 in Pecs.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Pecs $1,357

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $2,072 in Pecs.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Pecs $2,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,786 in Pecs.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Pecs $2,786

Living in Lisbon is roughly 64% more expensive than in Pecs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Pecs 0% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$11.50 Ft 3,717
43.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$61.8 Ft 20.0K
-0.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$9.20 Ft 2,973
22.50%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$2.50 Ft 808
22.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.30 Ft 420
73.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.28 Ft 414
35.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$1.69 Ft 546
100.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$2.34 Ft 755
45.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.19 Ft 384
-5.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.61 Ft 521
15.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.47 Ft 798
-38.06%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.23 Ft 1,044
22.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$10.11 Ft 3,265
26.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$6.64 Ft 2,147
18.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$16.09 Ft 5,198
5.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.46 Ft 794
-7.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.30 Ft 742
-23.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.56 Ft 827
-27.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$4.02 Ft 1,300
-36.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.10 Ft 355
69.09%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.36 Ft 439
48.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.85 Ft 598
-22.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.58 Ft 188
41.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$8.61 Ft 2,782
-23.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$4.52 Ft 1,461
24.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.30 Ft 422
-1.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.50 Ft 807
-17.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$1.49 Ft 482
57.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$23.02 Ft 7,438
91.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$3.41 Ft 1,102
17.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.43 Ft 463
-23.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$24.25 Ft 7,833
-31.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.82 Ft 587
25.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$30.1K Ft 9.7M
11.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$36.2K Ft 11.7M
8.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$171 Ft 55.4K
-2.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$20.62 Ft 6,662
-8.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$20.67 Ft 6,680
60.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$47.20 Ft 15.2K
-2.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$18.25 Ft 5,898
5.15%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$8.62 Ft 2,785
14.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$427 Ft 137.8K
58.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$7,588 Ft 2.5M
122.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$99.0 Ft 32.0K
2.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$52.0 Ft 16.8K
-11.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$95.3 Ft 30.8K
4.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$110 Ft 35.5K
11.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$607 Ft 196.2K
165.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$447 Ft 144.3K
168.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$981 Ft 317.0K
191.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$690 Ft 223.0K
188.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$3,322 Ft 1.1M
128.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$2,804 Ft 905.9K
53.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Pecs
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$1,071 Ft 345.9K
48.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
8
-51.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pecs: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Pecs
$447 62.7% $751
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Pecs
$260 3.5% $9.4
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Pecs
$173 28.5% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Pecs
$213 3% $6.6
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Pecs
$160 3.7% $6.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Pecs
$64 1.9% $1.3
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Pecs
$40 37.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $607 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 48% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $62.0 in Pecs. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $260, with Pecs cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇭🇺 Pecs
🕒 Local time
14:22 2:22 PM
15:22 3:22 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
140,330
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Pecs 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Pecs

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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Pecs?
Lisbon and Pecs differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $1,357 including rent). Pecs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Pecs?
Average pay runs 48% 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 Pecs?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $607 in Pecs. 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 Pecs?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $427 in Pecs. 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 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,357 in Pecs versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pecs but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pecs the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Pecs?
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 Pecs safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Pecs are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Pecs?
Expats usually find Pecs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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