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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $329 in Salem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $540 in Salem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $751 in Salem.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 588% more expensive than in Salem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Salem is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.16 ₹206

712.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$7.47 ₹714

763.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$3.77 ₹360

209.02%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.27 ₹121

156.69%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.34 ₹32.88

632.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.15 ₹14.74

1013.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.61 ₹154

115.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.14 ₹300

14.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.57 ₹54.1

107.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.44 ₹42.22

343.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.64 ₹60.8

143.75%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$0.69 ₹65.9

481.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.50 ₹525

141.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$2.53 ₹242

232.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.96 ₹188

18.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.77 ₹74.0

124.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.36 ₹129

41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.41 ₹38.72

543.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.39 ₹37.25

387.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.38 ₹36.35

455.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.24 ₹22.79

500.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.28 ₹26.48

185.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.04 ₹482

39.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$3.08 ₹294

92.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.45 ₹138

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.12 ₹203

1.42%

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

$3.77 ₹361

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.20 ₹19.08

1090.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$9.35 ₹894

394.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.82 ₹78.2

410.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.12 ₹11.19

816.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$1.08 ₹103

1498.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.10 ₹105

104.55%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$15.6K ₹1.5M

121.23%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$20.4K ₹2.0M

103.89%

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

$171 €147

$38.48 ₹3,677

344.07%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$2.93 ₹280

548.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$7.78 ₹744

340.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$17.72 ₹1,693

180.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$9.88 ₹944

97.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$2.09 ₹200

383.25%

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

$699 €603

$54.0 ₹5,158

1195.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$1,650 ₹157.6K

976.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$20.68 ₹1,975

405.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$14.44 ₹1,380

232.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$31.50 ₹3,009

223.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$27.15 ₹2,593

372.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$101 ₹9,656

1543.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$58.4 ₹5,582

2002.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$262 ₹25.0K

1013.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$170 ₹16.3K

1087.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,290 ₹123.2K

530.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$428 ₹40.8K

984.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$346 ₹33.1K

367.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.88

-61.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Salem: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $101 in Salem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 368% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $7.00 in Salem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $90.0 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 588% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $329 including rent). Salem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 368% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $101 in Salem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $54.0 in Salem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 212% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $329 in Salem versus $2,268 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 588% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.