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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $997 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,718 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,440 in Samara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Samara is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$12.92 ₽954

23.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$50.5 ₽3,727

28.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.63 ₽415

86.68%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.32 ₽171

23.71%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.17 ₽86.5

91.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.70 ₽51.3

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.12 ₽82.9

211.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.52 ₽186

53.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.07 ₽79.2

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.61 ₽44.69

186.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.24 ₽91.8

41.94%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.80 ₽133

78.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.93 ₽659

51.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.10 ₽376

55.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.69 ₽641

82.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.56 ₽115

48.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.85 ₽136

-8.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.18 ₽161

-7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.32 ₽171

6.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.63 ₽46.83

192.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.51 ₽37.96

292.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.80 ₽133

7.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.61 ₽44.75

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.09 ₽228

113.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.92 ₽363

16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.87 ₽64.2

57.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.32 ₽172

28.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.50 ₽37.05

374.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$40.57 ₽2,994

12.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.43 ₽253

25.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.39 ₽28.61

110.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$3.72 ₽275

391.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.74 ₽55.0

178.38%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$48.7K ₽3.6M

-29.58%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$44.6K ₽3.3M

-11.96%

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

$148 €127

$121 ₽8,917

22.37%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$6.46 ₽477

217.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$8.49 ₽627

366.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$34.59 ₽2,552

38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$13.70 ₽1,011

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.05 ₽299

126.67%

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

$614 €529

$313 ₽23.1K

95.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,042 ₽445.8K

165.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$99.4 ₽7,333

5.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$48.35 ₽3,568

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$129 ₽9,549

-27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$74.7 ₽5,515

60.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$469 ₽34.6K

247.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$281 ₽20.8K

346.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,234 ₽91.1K

145.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$714 ₽52.7K

182.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,030 ₽76.0K

55.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

15.33

-75.15%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Samara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $469 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 56% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Samara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $183 per month, with Samara 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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Samara differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $997 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 56% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $469 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $313 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $997 in Samara versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.