Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salem Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $364 in Salem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $589 in Salem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $814 in Salem.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 507% more expensive than Salem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Salem is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$2.34 ₹224

579.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$8.24 ₹789

686.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.69 ₹448

124.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.29 ₹124

122.48%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.46 ₹44.36

386.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.22 ₹21.02

581.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.76 ₹168

98.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.32 ₹509

-27.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.58 ₹55.5

96.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.39 ₹37.70

348.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.69 ₹66.3

155.07%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$0.78 ₹74.6

312.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$9.13 ₹874

47.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.77 ₹265

185.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.02 ₹193

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.77 ₹73.5

120.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.55 ₹148

29.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.42 ₹40.38

485.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.40 ₹38.29

360.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.48 ₹46.02

316.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.24 ₹23.01

704.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.36 ₹34.78

119.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.86 ₹274

131.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$3.75 ₹358

52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.78 ₹170

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.70 ₹259

10.00%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.48 ₹524

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.24 ₹23.07

887.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$8.47 ₹810

437.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.13 ₹108

279.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$1.13 ₹108

1519.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.20 ₹115

71.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$17.0K ₹1.6M

102.10%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.9K ₹2.8M

36.04%

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

$148 €127

$34.50 ₹3,302

328.61%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$3.43 ₹329

498.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$7.03 ₹673

463.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$16.03 ₹1,534

198.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$11.04 ₹1,056

71.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$2.35 ₹225

290.64%

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

$614 €529

$32.41 ₹3,102

1794.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,305 ₹124.8K

1130.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$21.65 ₹2,072

383.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$23.68 ₹2,267

77.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$40.93 ₹3,917

129.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$27.60 ₹2,641

333.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$101 ₹9,642

1515.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$64.0 ₹6,126

1860.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$267 ₹25.6K

1033.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$167 ₹16.0K

1111.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,280 ₹122.5K

509.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$438 ₹41.9K

876.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$347 ₹33.2K

361.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.47

-59.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Salem: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $101 in Salem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 362% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $8.00 in Salem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $109 per month, with Salem 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 Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salem differ by about 507% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $364 including rent). Salem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 362% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $101 in Salem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $32.41 in Salem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $364 in Salem versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salem but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salem 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 Salem 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 Salem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 507% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.