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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,012 in Pogradec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,536 in Pogradec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,059 in Pogradec.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Pogradec is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$8.45 ALL 687

86.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$37.70 ALL 3,063

68.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.24 ALL 588

44.34%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$0.95 ALL 77.2

206.32%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.60 ALL 130

43.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.69 ALL 55.9

117.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.39 ALL 113

156.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.62 ALL 213

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.00 ALL 162

-46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.90 ALL 73.0

95.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.94 ALL 157

-12.37%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.06 ALL 168

57.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.47 ALL 607

77.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.22 ALL 343

82.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$13.30 ALL 1,080

18.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.17 ALL 95.0

94.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.44 ALL 199

-31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.43 ALL 117

41.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.15 ALL 93.6

114.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.92 ALL 74.8

94.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.95 ALL 77.6

117.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.98 ALL 79.6

101.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.77 ALL 62.8

7.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.02 ALL 327

62.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$10.00 ALL 813

-44.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.15 ALL 93.8

15.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.73 ALL 141

73.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.48 ALL 39.04

372.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$19.10 ALL 1,551

142.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.44 ALL 279

22.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.55 ALL 126

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$17.75 ALL 1,442

6.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.17 ALL 177

-6.91%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$34.9K ALL 2.8M

0.25%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

59.23%

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

$148 €128

$68.4 ALL 5,557

116.27%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$17.21 ALL 1,398

19.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$16.15 ALL 1,312

144.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$55.9 ALL 4,544

-13.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$24.92 ALL 2,025

-26.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$7.99 ALL 649

13.89%

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

$615 €532

$95.1 ALL 7,724

546.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$47.49 ALL 3,858

113.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$53.0 ALL 4,308

-20.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$93.7 ALL 7,609

-1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$141 ALL 11.5K

-13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$455 ALL 37.0K

254.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$339 ALL 27.5K

269.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$618 ALL 50.2K

396.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$431 ALL 35.0K

372.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,551 ALL 126.0K

399.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,448 ALL 117.7K

195.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$465 ALL 37.8K

244.35%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $455 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 244% 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 $267 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 125% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,012 including rent). Pogradec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 244% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $455 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $95.1 in Pogradec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Pogradec versus $2,280 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.