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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,112 in Salamanca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,770 in Salamanca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,427 in Salamanca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than Salamanca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Salamanca is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$10.69 MX$185

47.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$38.93 MX$675

62.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.98 MX$138

29.32%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.39 MX$58.8

-17.11%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.23 MX$21.33

89.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.92 MX$15.89

64.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.44 MX$42.31

38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.99 MX$69.2

-2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.50 MX$25.94

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.61 MX$45.21

-32.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.62 MX$28.04

8.02%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.29 MX$39.75

35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.93 MX$137

67.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$8.06 MX$140

-2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$10.78 MX$187

48.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.62 MX$45.49

-8.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.44 MX$24.94

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.79 MX$31.02

10.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.61 MX$27.85

58.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.85 MX$32.08

-3.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.98 MX$34.35

-0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.24 MX$21.52

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.01 MX$17.53

-16.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.26 MX$73.8

60.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$9.77 MX$169

-40.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.60 MX$27.71

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.75 MX$47.70

6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.62 MX$10.71

269.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$10.59 MX$184

342.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.56 MX$44.43

60.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.61 MX$27.93

-49.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$8.51 MX$148

122.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.28 MX$22.24

63.28%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.3K MX$368.9K

64.96%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.7K MX$393.5K

74.91%

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

$150 €128

$57.3 MX$992

161.19%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.08 MX$383

-7.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$27.70 MX$480

41.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$36.10 MX$626

37.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$15.59 MX$270

18.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.50 MX$78.0

104.44%

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

$624 €533

$210 MX$3,639

197.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$3,544 MX$61.4K

348.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$53.8 MX$932

89.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$39.94 MX$692

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$90.8 MX$1,573

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$78.1 MX$1,354

54.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$515 MX$8,925

220.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$401 MX$6,948

207.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$941 MX$16.3K

223.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$770 MX$13.3K

167.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,239 MX$38.8K

251.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,422 MX$24.7K

202.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Salamanca: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $515 in Salamanca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $39 in Salamanca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,112 including rent). Salamanca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,668 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $515 in Salamanca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $210 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 $1,112 in Salamanca versus $2,243 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 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.