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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,390 in Samos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,068 in Samos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,746 in Samos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 61% more expensive than Samos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Samos 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$11.49 €9.80

36.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$40.38 €34.45

56.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.09 €6.05

45.56%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.52 €3.01

-20.17%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.27 €1.94

2.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.76 €0.64

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$4.75 €4.05

-29.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$6.62 €5.64

-40.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.72 €1.46

-37.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.49 €1.27

17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.39 €2.04

-26.78%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.10 €3.49

-24.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$13.42 €11.45

-1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$9.62 €8.21

-18.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$13.70 €11.69

17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.15 €1.84

11.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.06 €1.76

-16.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.43 €1.22

37.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.04 €1.74

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.22 €1.04

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.24 €1.06

58.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.99 €0.84

97.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.75 €0.64

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.41 €4.61

26.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.55 €6.44

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.10 €1.80

-34.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.81 €2.40

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.53 €1.31

49.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$46.18 €39.39

1.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$4.73 €4.04

-12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$13.65 €11.65

38.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.18 €1.86

-4.13%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$31.2K €26.6K

12.69%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$26.2K €22.4K

51.48%

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

$150 €128

$219 €187

-31.60%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$23.12 €19.72

-11.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$32.90 €28.06

19.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$47.88 €40.84

3.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$26.44 €22.56

-30.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$9.28 €7.92

-0.86%

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

$624 €533

$431 €368

44.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$5,938 €5,066

167.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$88.1 €75.2

15.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$37.96 €32.38

7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$88.7 €75.6

7.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$106 €90.4

14.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$487 €416

239.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$386 €329

219.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$763 €651

298.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$608 €519

238.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$3,082 €2,629

155.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$2,230 €1,902

92.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,061 €905

47.67%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Samos: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $487 in Samos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 48% 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 in Lisbon vs $40 in Samos. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $277, 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 61% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,390 including rent). Samos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 48% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $487 in Samos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $431 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 $1,390 in Samos versus $2,243 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 61% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.