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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $847 in Pogradec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,393 in Pogradec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,938 in Pogradec.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 171% more expensive than in Pogradec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Pogradec is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$10.19 ALL 805

72.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$39.39 ALL 3,112

59.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.74 ALL 611

49.61%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.57 ALL 124

97.45%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.94 ALL 153

28.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.65 ALL 51.1

167.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.47 ALL 116

136.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.69 ALL 213

27.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.05 ALL 162

-43.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.92 ALL 72.7

107.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.10 ALL 166

-28.57%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.21 ALL 175

80.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.41 ALL 664

58.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.49 ALL 355

78.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.24 ALL 1,125

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.23 ALL 97.5

91.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.35 ALL 186

-25.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.55 ALL 122

19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.24 ALL 98.2

105.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.02 ALL 80.9

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.04 ALL 81.9

101.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.03 ALL 81.3

44.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.85 ALL 67.1

-3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.28 ALL 338

65.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.13 ALL 800

-41.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.23 ALL 96.8

6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.92 ALL 152

10.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.52 ALL 41.43

353.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$19.24 ALL 1,520

142.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.70 ALL 292

10.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.92 ALL 152

-40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$18.83 ALL 1,487

-9.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.24 ALL 177

3.12%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$34.1K ALL 2.7M

0.14%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$25.7K ALL 2.0M

60.74%

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

$169 €147

$63.4 ALL 5,011

165.77%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$16.30 ALL 1,288

18.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$17.24 ALL 1,362

94.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$35.85 ALL 2,832

36.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$19.00 ALL 1,501

2.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$9.05 ALL 715

5.75%

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

$696 €607

$101 ALL 7,962

590.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$50.9 ALL 4,020

106.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$57.0 ALL 4,499

-16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$101 ALL 8,000

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$148 ALL 11.7K

-15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$185 ALL 14.6K

797.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$126 ALL 9,954

889.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$378 ALL 29.9K

684.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$248 ALL 19.6K

724.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,604 ALL 126.7K

388.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,534 ALL 121.2K

190.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$490 ALL 38.7K

232.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-24.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $185 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 233% 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 $39.00 in Pogradec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $220 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 171% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $847 including rent). Pogradec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 233% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $185 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $101 in Pogradec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $847 in Pogradec versus $2,296 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 171% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.