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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $994 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,708 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,422 in Samara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 130% more expensive than in Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Samara is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$12.58 ₽988

28.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$51.0 ₽4,008

24.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.64 ₽443

82.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.41 ₽189

17.43%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.17 ₽92.1

95.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.69 ₽54.6

128.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.13 ₽88.5

200.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.58 ₽203

56.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.12 ₽87.7

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.59 ₽46.56

196.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.24 ₽97.3

41.94%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.72 ₽135

84.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.34 ₽734

41.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.18 ₽407

53.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.30 ₽652

87.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.55 ₽122

52.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.82 ₽143

-6.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.28 ₽179

-11.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.36 ₽185

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.62 ₽48.88

183.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.47 ₽36.96

331.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.82 ₽143

5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 ₽44.16

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.10 ₽243

112.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.51 ₽354

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.94 ₽73.9

41.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.25 ₽176

32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.46 ₽36.52

395.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$40.89 ₽3,213

11.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.39 ₽267

24.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.42 ₽32.97

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$3.87 ₽304

376.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.75 ₽59.0

177.33%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$47.8K ₽3.8M

-27.46%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$43.0K ₽3.4M

-8.93%

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

$148 €130

$121 ₽9,497

22.48%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$6.43 ₽505

218.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$8.24 ₽647

380.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$35.32 ₽2,775

35.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$13.69 ₽1,076

35.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.20 ₽330

119.52%

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

$616 €540

$323 ₽25.4K

90.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,976 ₽469.5K

175.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$99.7 ₽7,831

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$46.73 ₽3,671

-10.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$126 ₽9,912

-24.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$75.3 ₽5,917

62.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$458 ₽36.0K

256.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$276 ₽21.7K

346.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,252 ₽98.4K

147.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$710 ₽55.8K

186.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$990 ₽77.8K

62.40%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Samara: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $458 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 62% 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 $51.0 in Samara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $182 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $994 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $458 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $323 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 $994 in Samara versus $2,291 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 130% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.