Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salamina Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salamina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,490 in Salamina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,275 in Salamina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,060 in Salamina.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than Salamina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Salamina 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$17.05 €14.55

-7.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$55.3 €47.17

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.51 €7.26

21.27%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$4.10 €3.49

-31.46%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.51 €2.14

-7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.60 €0.51

151.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$4.67 €3.98

-27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$4.55 €3.88

-14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.84 €1.57

-41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.37 €1.17

27.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.88 €2.46

-39.24%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.13 €3.52

-24.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$14.91 €12.72

-10.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$11.05 €9.43

-28.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$15.19 €12.95

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.31 €1.97

3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.14 €1.83

-19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.58 €1.34

24.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.30 €1.96

10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.42 €1.21

26.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.25 €1.07

57.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.95 €0.81

106.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.00 €0.85

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.72 €4.88

19.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$6.92 €5.90

-15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.10 €1.79

-34.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.86 €2.44

2.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.58 €1.35

44.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$46.98 €40.08

-0.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$3.96 €3.38

4.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$14.10 €12.02

34.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.10 €1.79

-0.48%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$29.4K €25.1K

19.58%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$29.3K €25.0K

35.62%

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

$150 €128

$219 €187

-31.70%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.70 €19.37

-9.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$34.85 €29.73

12.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$47.72 €40.71

4.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$26.14 €22.29

-29.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$9.81 €8.37

-6.22%

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

$624 €533

$518 €442

20.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$6,346 €5,414

150.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$93.5 €79.8

9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$46.64 €39.78

-12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$79.7 €68.0

20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$105 €89.7

15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$488 €416

238.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$394 €336

213.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$761 €649

299.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$608 €519

238.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$3,159 €2,695

149.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$2,544 €2,170

69.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,132 €966

38.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.99

-23.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Salamina: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $488 in Salamina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 38% 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 in Lisbon vs $55 in Salamina. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $301, 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 Salamina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salamina differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,490 including rent). Salamina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 38% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $488 in Salamina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $518 in Salamina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,490 in Salamina versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salamina but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salamina 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 Salamina 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 Salamina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.