Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salamanca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salamanca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,233 in Salamanca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,958 in Salamanca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,682 in Salamanca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 88% more expensive than in Salamanca, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Salamanca is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$13.09 MX$221

32.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$41.83 MX$706

51.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$8.29 MX$140

37.39%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.73 MX$63.0

-14.48%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.69 MX$28.51

44.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.20 MX$20.20

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.64 MX$44.61

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.18 MX$70.6

-18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.68 MX$28.43

-26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.43 MX$40.93

-18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.94 MX$32.72

-21.65%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.78 MX$46.86

45.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$9.36 MX$158

44.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$8.63 MX$146

-2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$13.26 MX$224

37.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.99 MX$50.5

-23.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.77 MX$29.82

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.99 MX$33.58

-6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.90 MX$32.12

38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.82 MX$30.79

5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.98 MX$33.50

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.52 MX$25.73

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.20 MX$20.32

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.42 MX$74.6

53.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.40 MX$209

-53.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.71 MX$28.79

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.11 MX$52.4

-28.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.63 MX$10.68

280.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.45 MX$41.35

70.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.12 MX$35.78

-46.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$11.78 MX$199

50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.52 MX$25.59

52.63%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$25.8K MX$435.9K

36.84%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$28.8K MX$486.7K

43.72%

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

$170 €147

$64.2 MX$1,083

165.39%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$22.49 MX$380

-14.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$35.69 MX$602

-5.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$40.14 MX$677

19.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$21.00 MX$355

-5.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$6.00 MX$101

65.33%

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

$717 €617

$271 MX$4,578

164.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,123 MX$86.5K

241.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$66.9 MX$1,129

56.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$47.21 MX$797

-0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$124 MX$2,094

-16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$82.2 MX$1,387

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$574 MX$9,694

191.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$357 MX$6,022

256.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,225 MX$20.7K

143.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$787 MX$13.3K

153.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$2,156 MX$36.4K

262.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,282 MX$21.6K

263.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Salamanca: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $574 in Salamanca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Salamanca. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $284, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Salamanca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salamanca differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,233 including rent). Salamanca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $1,850 in Salamanca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $574 in Salamanca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,233 in Salamanca – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,233 in Salamanca versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salamanca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salamanca 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 Salamanca 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 Salamanca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.