Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,426 in Samos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,124 in Samos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,821 in Samos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 59% more expensive than Samos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Samos 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$11.36 €9.85

40.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €55.0

$41.16 €35.69

53.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.01

$6.76 €5.86

53.55%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$3.51 €3.04

-20.51%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.26 €1.96

3.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.76 €0.66

106.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$4.67 €4.05

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$6.58 €5.70

-40.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.73 €1.50

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.42 €1.24

24.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.41 €2.09

-29.05%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$4.21 €3.65

-25.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$13.51 €11.72

1.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.95

$9.70 €8.41

-17.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.46

$13.70 €11.88

13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$2.16 €1.87

6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.10 €1.82

-21.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.51 €1.31

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$2.06 €1.78

21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.27 €1.10

40.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.24 €1.08

62.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.98 €0.85

101.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.81 €0.70

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.89

$5.41 €4.69

25.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$7.13 €6.18

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$2.08 €1.80

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.62

$2.73 €2.37

10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.59 €1.38

42.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.40

$46.62 €40.42

-2.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$4.74 €4.11

-9.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.85

$13.79 €11.96

32.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.29 €1.99

-13.10%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$30.9K €26.8K

13.26%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$26.1K €22.6K

51.60%

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

$146 €127

$217 €188

-32.71%

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

$20.45 €17.73

$23.16 €20.09

-11.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.80

$32.55 €28.23

19.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.48

$48.39 €41.96

1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.33

$26.50 €22.98

-28.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.26

$9.77 €8.47

-2.56%

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

$608 €527

$418 €363

45.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$5,984 €5,189

175.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.1

$88.8 €77.0

16.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.53

$37.86 €32.84

11.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €80.0

$89.3 €77.4

3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$105 €91.2

14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,406

$489 €424

231.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$387 €335

227.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,643

$789 €684

286.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,742

$625 €542

221.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,645

$2,704 €2,345

183.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,754

$2,471 €2,143

75.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$1,031 €894

53.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.43

-14.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Samos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $489 in Samos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 54% 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 $41.00 in Samos. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $278, 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 Samos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Samos differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,426 including rent). Samos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 54% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $489 in Samos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $418 in Samos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,426 in Samos versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Samos 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 Samos 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 Samos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.