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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Penza
For one person, living is cheaper in Penza: $806 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Penza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $806 in Penza.
Lisbon $2,210
Penza $806
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,271 in Penza.
Lisbon $3,275
Penza $1,271
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,736 in Penza.
Lisbon $4,341
Penza $1,736
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 174% more expensive than in Penza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Penza is 41% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.92
$8.58₽691
94.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.3
$37.57₽3,026
64.33%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.18
$7.85₽632
44.71%
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.66
$3.60₽290
-17.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.05
$1.06₽85.4
116.04%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.56
$0.71₽57.5
145.07%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.05
$2.41₽194
41.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.97
$2.75₽222
20.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.04
$1.06₽85.5
9.43%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.71
$0.48₽39.01
297.92%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.36
-
-
Eggs
$4.02€3.60
$1.57₽127
156.05%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.59
$13.35₽1,075
-3.07%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.97
$4.30₽346
80.70%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.92
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.06
-
-
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
-
-
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
-
-
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.32
-
-
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
-
-
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.76
-
-
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.32
-
-
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$0.85₽68.7
-15.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.90
$2.67₽215
146.44%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.61€5.02
$9.55₽769
-41.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.22
$1.06₽85.6
28.30%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$2.43₽196
-11.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.09
$0.39₽31.21
497.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€40.04
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.45
$2.55₽206
50.98%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.96
$0.24₽19.18
345.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.75
$15.07₽1,214
9.22%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.97
$0.86₽69.2
155.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.6K
$39.1K₽3.1M
-12.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.7K
$43.8K₽3.5M
-11.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€144
$84.6₽6,814
90.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.50
$6.83₽550
169.55%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.34
$11.04₽889
196.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€39.92
$86.9₽7,001
-48.75%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.60
$6.55₽527
46.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€598
$376₽30.3K
77.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$169₽13.6K
-39.56%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.85
$73.0₽5,875
-39.05%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€88.3
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,441
$339₽27.3K
374.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,066
$207₽16.7K
475.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,520
$496₽40.0K
466.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,804
$400₽32.3K
402.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€7,025
$2,328₽187.5K
236.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,100
$1,107₽89.1K
313.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Penza
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,411
$622₽50.1K
153.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
24
-83.96%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Penza: October 27, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Penza
–
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Penza
–
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Penza
–
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Penza
–
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Penza
–
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Penza
–
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Penza
–
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Penza
–
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Penza
–
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Penza
–
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Penza
–
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Penza
–
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Penza
–
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Penza
–
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $339 in Penza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 2.5 times 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 $38 in Penza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $123 per month, with Penza cheaper across the board.
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 Penza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Penza?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $806 in Penza, so Penza is about 64% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Penza?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 2.5 times higher, 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 Penza?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $339 in Penza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Penza?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $806 in Penza – Penza is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $806 in Penza versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Penza but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Penza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Penza?
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 Penza safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Penza are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Penza?
It comes down to priorities – Penza wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.