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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $364 in Salem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $594 in Salem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $824 in Salem.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 529% more expensive than in Salem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Salem is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$2.37 ₹229

583.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$8.05 ₹775

686.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.57 ₹440

125.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.29 ₹124

119.38%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.50 ₹48.20

358.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.24 ₹23.25

558.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.72 ₹165

97.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.35 ₹515

-24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.64 ₹61.6

70.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.39 ₹37.76

348.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.73 ₹70.7

141.10%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$0.79 ₹75.8

301.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.02 ₹869

46.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.77 ₹267

187.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.03 ₹195

16.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.71 ₹68.3

140.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.49 ₹143

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.46 ₹44.20

428.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.37 ₹35.97

375.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.47 ₹45.71

331.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.22 ₹21.14

772.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.34 ₹32.62

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.96 ₹285

122.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$3.93 ₹379

41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.77 ₹171

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.80 ₹270

6.07%

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

$5.35 ₹515

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.22 ₹21.16

936.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$8.82 ₹849

419.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.14 ₹110

271.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$1.14 ₹110

1517.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.18 ₹113

76.27%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$16.8K ₹1.6M

106.59%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.9K ₹2.8M

35.69%

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

$148 €130

$34.70 ₹3,340

326.66%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$3.44 ₹331

494.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$6.90 ₹664

473.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$16.14 ₹1,554

197.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$10.83 ₹1,043

71.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$2.38 ₹229

287.39%

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

$616 €539

$31.65 ₹3,047

1846.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,287 ₹123.9K

1177.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$22.17 ₹2,134

363.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$23.87 ₹2,298

74.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$39.87 ₹3,838

137.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$28.17 ₹2,712

333.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$97.3 ₹9,369

1577.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$62.9 ₹6,052

1860.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$272 ₹26.2K

1037.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$165 ₹15.9K

1129.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,316 ₹126.7K

494.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$437 ₹42.1K

903.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$343 ₹33.0K

368.77%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Salem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $97.3 in Salem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 369% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $8.00 in Salem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 529% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $364 including rent). Salem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 369% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $97.3 in Salem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $31.65 in Salem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $364 in Salem versus $2,291 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 529% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.