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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,132 in Salamanca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,780 in Salamanca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,429 in Salamanca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 95% more expensive than Salamanca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Salamanca is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$10.67 MX$186

49.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$39.08 MX$682

65.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.94 MX$139

32.37%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.39 MX$59.3

-15.34%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.24 MX$21.70

80.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.95 MX$16.66

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.44 MX$42.61

43.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.86 MX$67.4

0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.42 MX$24.84

-19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.50 MX$43.72

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.57 MX$27.43

12.10%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.29 MX$40.07

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$8.26 MX$144

63.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$7.73 MX$135

2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$10.50 MX$183

51.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.59 MX$45.27

-10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.40 MX$24.37

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.71 MX$29.85

17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.60 MX$27.89

53.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.83 MX$31.88

0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.94 MX$33.83

3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.20 MX$20.89

60.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.02 MX$17.83

-22.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.12 MX$71.9

60.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$12.39 MX$216

-53.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.54 MX$26.81

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.73 MX$47.64

8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.65 MX$11.37

264.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

$10.40 MX$182

338.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$2.53 MX$44.14

69.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.58 MX$27.61

-48.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$8.19 MX$143

123.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.29 MX$22.52

59.69%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$20.8K MX$363.2K

64.85%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$22.9K MX$399.6K

71.73%

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

$148 €128

$57.4 MX$1,002

157.84%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$22.04 MX$385

-6.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$28.42 MX$496

39.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$35.48 MX$620

34.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$15.89 MX$278

19.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$4.72 MX$82.4

94.49%

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

$614 €533

$202 MX$3,534

203.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$3,664 MX$64.0K

338.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$53.1 MX$927

97.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$40.22 MX$702

4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$88.0 MX$1,536

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$78.1 MX$1,363

53.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$510 MX$8,900

219.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$392 MX$6,848

220.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$925 MX$16.2K

227.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$767 MX$13.4K

163.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

$2,131 MX$37.2K

266.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,322 MX$23.1K

223.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.48

-66.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Salamanca: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $510 in Salamanca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Salamanca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $250 per month, with Salamanca 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 Salamanca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salamanca differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,132 including rent). Salamanca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,698 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $510 in Salamanca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $202 in Salamanca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,132 in Salamanca versus $2,210 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 95% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.