Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Podgorica Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Podgorica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,301 in Podgorica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,000 in Podgorica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,698 in Podgorica.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than Podgorica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Podgorica is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$9.79 €8.42

62.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$46.06 €39.62

40.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.14 €7.86

14.99%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.14 €1.84

34.11%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.27 €1.96

-1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.44 €1.24

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.90 €2.49

20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.53 €3.04

9.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.32 €1.14

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.04 €0.89

68.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.30 €1.98

-23.48%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.57 €7.37

57.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.33 €7.17

-5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.99 €10.31

32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.52 €1.31

51.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.74 €1.50

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.60 €1.38

25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.57 €2.21

-4.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.97 €0.83

89.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.15 €0.99

73.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.85 €1.59

4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.75 €0.65

5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.33 €3.72

52.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.85 €5.03

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.08 €0.93

26.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.80 €1.55

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.06 €0.91

123.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$34.51 €29.69

32.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.70 €0.61

512.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.71 €0.61

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$11.61 €9.99

57.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.68 €1.45

22.62%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.0K €24.9K

18.30%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.1K €28.5K

18.60%

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

$148 €127

$113 €97.5

30.45%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.33 €15.76

11.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$31.40 €27.01

26.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$44.82 €38.55

6.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$13.73 €11.81

37.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.77 €4.97

59.10%

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

$614 €528

$287 €247

113.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,458 €6,416

115.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$84.0 €72.2

24.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$45.40 €39.06

-7.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$93.5 €80.4

0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$113 €97.5

5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$626 €538

160.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$485 €417

159.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,140 €981

165.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$864 €743

133.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,276 €2,818

138.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,416 €2,078

76.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,176 €1,011

36.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.73

-33.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Podgorica: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $626 in Podgorica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 36% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Podgorica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $229 per month, with Podgorica 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 Podgorica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Podgorica differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,301 including rent). Podgorica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 36% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $626 in Podgorica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $287 in Podgorica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,301 in Podgorica versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Podgorica but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Podgorica 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 Podgorica 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 Podgorica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.