Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salerno Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salerno

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,690 in Salerno.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,616 in Salerno.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,542 in Salerno.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 36% more expensive than in Salerno, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Salerno 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$15.01 €13.14

7.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$63.7 €55.8

-0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$11.78 €10.32

-12.39%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.84 €1.61

53.80%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.41 €2.11

-4.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.29 €1.13

22.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.71 €5.00

-40.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$5.26 €4.61

-23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.69 €1.48

-35.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.66 €1.46

5.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.37 €2.07

-25.74%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.93 €2.57

8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$17.10 €14.97

-22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$11.74 €10.28

-32.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$17.00 €14.89

-8.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.13 €1.87

11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.08 €1.82

-17.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.78 €1.56

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.26 €1.98

7.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.70 €1.49

3.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.85 €1.62

9.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.06 €0.93

81.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.37 €0.32

129.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.85 €6.00

-3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$3.96 €3.47

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.92 €1.68

-30.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.27 €1.99

30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.78 €1.56

28.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$38.13 €33.40

20.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.19 €4.54

-18.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.60 €1.40

-49.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$35.34 €30.95

-47.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.01 €1.76

3.48%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$28.8K €25.3K

20.21%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$30.0K €26.3K

30.34%

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

$148 €130

$88.3 €77.3

67.74%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$11.11 €9.73

84.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$30.64 €26.84

29.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$45.83 €40.14

4.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$11.36 €9.95

63.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$11.10 €9.72

-16.94%

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

$616 €540

$285 €250

116.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$10.7K €9,345

54.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$73.8 €64.6

39.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$35.23 €30.86

18.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$87.1 €76.3

8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$120 €105

1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$996 €872

63.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$727 €636

69.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,771 €1,551

74.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,307 €1,145

55.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$5,026 €4,402

55.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,843 €2,490

54.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,648 €1,443

-2.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.95

-3.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Salerno: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $996 in Salerno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salerno pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Salerno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $297 per month, with Lisbon 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 Salerno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salerno differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,690 including rent). Salerno is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Salerno. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $996 in Salerno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $285 in Salerno. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,690 in Salerno versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salerno but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salerno 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 Salerno 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 Salerno gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.