Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saku

For one person, living is cheaper in Saku: $1,108 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Saku
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Saku Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Saku

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Saku

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Saku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Saku.

Lisbon $2,206
Saku $1,108

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $1,724 in Saku.

Lisbon $3,276
Saku $1,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,339 in Saku.

Lisbon $4,346
Saku $2,339

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Saku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Saku is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.08

$16.43 €14.69

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.6

$70.4 €62.9

-13.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.82

$11.23 €10.04

-2.23%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.73

$4.14 €3.70

-26.33%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$2.25 €2.01

1.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.32 €2.07

-27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$6.66 €5.96

-48.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.49

$6.51 €5.82

-39.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.09 €0.97

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.39 €1.24

35.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.38 €2.13

-36.97%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.68

$2.90 €2.59

42.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.63

$11.04 €9.88

17.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.19

$8.41 €7.52

-4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €16.00

$14.64 €13.09

22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$2.14 €1.92

6.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.38 €1.23

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.49 €2.23

-26.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$3.01 €2.70

-10.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$0.82 €0.73

115.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.81 €0.72

139.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.85 €1.66

-21.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.01 €0.90

-24.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.95

$6.91 €6.18

-3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.04

$10.22 €9.14

-44.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.90 €1.69

-32.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.08 €1.86

2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.56

$3.67 €3.28

8.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.03 €0.92

-37.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.92

$26.04 €23.28

-27.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.02 €1.80

12.87%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$28.2K €25.2K

18.33%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$29.3K €26.2K

31.55%

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

$158 €141

$312 €279

-49.26%

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

$17.54 €15.68

$17.17 €15.36

2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.89

$32.62 €29.17

-4.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.92

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.97

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.56

$11.65 €10.41

-17.77%

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

$674 €602

$469 €420

43.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$10.2K €9,106

83.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$102 €90.8

0.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €41.04

$48.12 €43.03

-4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$106 €94.6

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$119 €106

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,467

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,062

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,526

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,805

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €7,007

$4,012 €3,588

95.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,204

$2,648 €2,368

77.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,508

$1,764 €1,577

-4.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.44

11.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Saku: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Saku

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Saku

$267 24.1% 2.9% $7.9

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Saku

$279 25.2% 13.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Saku

$362 32.6% 74.7% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Saku

$168 15.2% 0.5% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Saku

$23 * 2.1% 63.5% $41

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Saku

$8.8 * 0.8% 85.4% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Saku pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $70 in Saku. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $267, with Saku cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇪🇪 Saku

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

00:55 12:55 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

4,548

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Saku 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Saku

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Saku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,108 in Saku, so Saku is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Saku – Saku is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,108 in Saku versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saku but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saku 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 Saku are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.