Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,838 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,485 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,131 in Samara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 24% more expensive than in Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Samara 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$10.06 ₡4,510

56.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$55.1 ₡24.7K

15.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.91 ₡3,100

51.23%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.70 ₡1,213

7.78%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.98 ₡888

15.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.37 ₡614

9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$3.00 ₡1,347

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$4.26 ₡1,911

-7.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.97 ₡883

-45.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.85 ₡1,277

-38.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.22 ₡997

-23.42%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.03 ₡1,357

7.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$10.16 ₡4,557

30.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$9.24 ₡4,144

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.04 ₡4,500

57.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$4.43 ₡1,988

-48.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.50 ₡674

10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$4.29 ₡1,925

-52.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.47 ₡1,554

-28.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$3.57 ₡1,599

-49.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$3.10 ₡1,391

-33.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.02 ₡456

93.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$2.85 ₡1,280

-70.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.96 ₡2,223

32.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$18.95 ₡8,498

-70.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.28 ₡1,021

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.22 ₡997

35.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.96 ₡433

136.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.86 ₡832

127.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.86 ₡836

-54.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$8.01 ₡3,592

135.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.40 ₡627

44.29%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-8.32%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$32.4K ₡14.5M

22.26%

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

$148 €128

$95.2 ₡42.7K

55.39%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$26.36 ₡11.8K

-22.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$60.5 ₡27.1K

-34.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$69.0 ₡30.9K

-30.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$24.06 ₡10.8K

-23.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.93 ₡4,453

-8.36%

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

$615 €532

$477 ₡214.0K

28.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,967 ₡2.7M

172.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$59.0 ₡26.4K

72.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$52.5 ₡23.5K

-19.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$124 ₡55.4K

-25.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$107 ₡47.9K

14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$1,528 ₡685.0K

5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$860 ₡385.5K

45.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$2,997 ₡1.3M

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$972 ₡435.9K

109.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$5,023 ₡2.3M

54.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.17

-62.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samara: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,528 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $55.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $351, 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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Samara differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,838 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $2,757 in Samara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $1,528 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,838 in Samara – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,838 in Samara versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Samara 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 Samara 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 Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.