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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,779 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,461 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,143 in Samara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 25% more expensive than Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Samara 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.79 ₡4,450

65.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$54.3 ₡24.7K

19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.83 ₡3,104

51.98%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.72 ₡1,237

1.84%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.00 ₡911

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.38 ₡627

13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.92 ₡1,326

19.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$4.24 ₡1,929

-5.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.04 ₡930

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.78 ₡1,266

-37.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.16 ₡982

-19.44%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.95 ₡1,340

7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$10.09 ₡4,588

33.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$9.34 ₡4,249

-14.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$9.92 ₡4,509

62.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$4.60 ₡2,090

-50.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.52 ₡689

13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$4.22 ₡1,920

-54.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.57 ₡1,624

-28.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.42 ₡1,555

-46.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.20 ₡1,454

-36.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.02 ₡463

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.93 ₡1,332

-70.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.89 ₡2,222

40.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$19.16 ₡8,714

-69.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.38 ₡1,083

-42.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.17 ₡988

33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.00 ₡455

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.88 ₡855

117.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.78 ₡810

-53.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.99 ₡3,635

128.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.40 ₡637

43.57%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$37.3K ₡17.0M

-5.47%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$32.1K ₡14.6M

19.94%

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

$145 €124

$93.1 ₡42.3K

56.24%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$25.42 ₡11.6K

-17.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$59.2 ₡26.9K

-32.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$70.5 ₡32.1K

-30.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$23.44 ₡10.7K

-20.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$9.77 ₡4,443

-7.27%

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

$607 €519

$471 ₡214.0K

28.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,964 ₡2.7M

173.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$60.6 ₡27.6K

72.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$52.5 ₡23.9K

-21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$124 ₡56.4K

-24.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$107 ₡48.9K

10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$1,474 ₡670.4K

8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$843 ₡383.3K

46.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$3,001 ₡1.4M

1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$953 ₡433.2K

115.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,940 ₡2.2M

56.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Samara: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,474 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $54.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $353, 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 25% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,779 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $2,669 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,474 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,779 in Samara – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,779 in Samara versus $2,227 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 25% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.