Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pogradec Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pogradec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,007 in Pogradec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,499 in Pogradec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,991 in Pogradec.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 125% more expensive than Pogradec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Pogradec is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$8.02 ALL 655

98.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$37.69 ALL 3,079

68.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.28 ALL 595

42.58%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$0.93 ALL 75.7

200.00%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.60 ALL 131

46.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.70 ALL 56.8

124.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.37 ALL 112

150.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.52 ALL 206

55.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.02 ALL 165

-46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.85 ALL 69.5

108.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.02 ALL 165

-15.35%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.06 ALL 168

52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$7.43 ALL 607

84.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.14 ALL 338

93.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$13.17 ALL 1,076

17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.16 ALL 94.9

97.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.37 ALL 193

-30.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.39 ALL 113

39.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.20 ALL 98.2

109.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.93 ALL 75.8

92.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.97 ALL 79.1

107.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.97 ALL 79.3

103.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.72 ALL 58.6

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.96 ALL 324

71.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$9.93 ALL 811

-42.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.17 ALL 95.3

18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.76 ALL 144

71.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.48 ALL 39.34

372.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.06 ALL 1,557

138.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.47 ALL 283

23.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.60 ALL 130

-46.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$17.57 ALL 1,436

4.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.11 ALL 172

-5.69%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$34.0K ALL 2.8M

3.13%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

58.45%

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

$146 €126

$67.0 ALL 5,476

118.08%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$17.67 ALL 1,444

15.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$15.99 ALL 1,306

143.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$55.3 ALL 4,520

-11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$25.27 ALL 2,064

-25.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$8.05 ALL 658

18.26%

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

$608 €524

$94.0 ALL 7,680

546.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$46.63 ALL 3,810

122.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$53.6 ALL 4,378

-21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$95.8 ALL 7,830

-3.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$142 ALL 11.6K

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$443 ALL 36.2K

265.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$338 ALL 27.6K

275.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$611 ALL 49.9K

399.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$437 ALL 35.7K

360.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,552 ALL 126.8K

393.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,451 ALL 118.6K

198.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$462 ALL 37.7K

243.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-4.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $443 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 243% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Pogradec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $206 per month, with Pogradec 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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pogradec differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,007 including rent). Pogradec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 243% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $443 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $94.0 in Pogradec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,007 in Pogradec versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pogradec but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pogradec 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 Pogradec 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 Pogradec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.