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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,010 in Pogradec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,509 in Pogradec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,009 in Pogradec.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than Pogradec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Pogradec is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$8.17 ALL 665

92.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$36.98 ALL 3,008

70.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.19 ALL 585

43.53%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$0.92 ALL 74.8

205.43%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.63 ALL 133

42.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.73 ALL 59.6

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.45 ALL 118

132.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.52 ALL 205

55.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$2.03 ALL 165

-46.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.89 ALL 72.6

96.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.95 ALL 159

-10.26%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.18 ALL 177

42.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.72 ALL 628

72.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.00 ALL 325

96.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$13.16 ALL 1,071

21.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.14 ALL 93.1

109.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.37 ALL 193

-27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.44 ALL 117

36.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.17 ALL 95.0

117.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.91 ALL 74.2

96.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.93 ALL 75.4

111.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.90 ALL 73.2

117.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.73 ALL 59.0

15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$3.96 ALL 322

72.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$10.34 ALL 842

-43.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.20 ALL 97.7

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.81 ALL 147

61.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.49 ALL 40.07

367.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$18.86 ALL 1,535

148.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$3.40 ALL 277

21.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.54 ALL 125

-47.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$17.31 ALL 1,408

9.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.21 ALL 180

-5.43%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$34.8K ALL 2.8M

0.81%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

54.27%

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

$150 €128

$66.8 ALL 5,430

124.06%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$17.58 ALL 1,430

16.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$15.87 ALL 1,291

146.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$55.2 ALL 4,486

-9.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$25.49 ALL 2,074

-27.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$8.40 ALL 684

9.52%

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

$624 €533

$94.7 ALL 7,706

559.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$47.91 ALL 3,897

113.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$53.9 ALL 4,388

-24.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$96.0 ALL 7,807

-0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$143 ALL 11.6K

-15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$458 ALL 37.2K

261.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$340 ALL 27.6K

262.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$621 ALL 50.5K

390.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$440 ALL 35.8K

368.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,580 ALL 128.6K

398.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,481 ALL 120.5K

190.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$473 ALL 38.5K

231.02%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $458 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 231% 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 in Lisbon vs $37 in Pogradec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $207 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 122% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,010 including rent). Pogradec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 231% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $458 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $94.7 in Pogradec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,010 in Pogradec versus $2,243 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 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.