Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samsun

For one person, living is cheaper in Samsun: $940 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Samsun, Turkey
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Samsun
🇹🇷 Turkey
$940
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Samsun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Samsun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $940 in Samsun.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Samsun $940

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,631 in Samsun.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Samsun $1,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,321 in Samsun.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Samsun $2,321

Living in Lisbon is roughly 135% more expensive than in Samsun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Samsun is 31% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$10.06 ₺502
65.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$59.3 ₺2,961
4.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$10.45 ₺522
8.71%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$3.97 ₺198
-25.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.84 ₺41.91
172.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.29 ₺14.38
500.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$1.86 ₺92.7
82.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$2.03 ₺101
63.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.17 ₺58.5
-0.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.94 ₺96.8
-1.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.73 ₺136
-44.69%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$2.44 ₺122
64.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$8.20 ₺409
57.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$5.53 ₺276
40.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$26.33 ₺1,315
-32.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.40 ₺120
-4.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.34 ₺117
-26.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.46 ₺72.9
27.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$1.04 ₺51.9
149.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$0.44 ₺21.91
313.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.34 ₺16.82
479.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.82 ₺40.84
79.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.68 ₺33.76
5.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$2.16 ₺108
204.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$8.79 ₺439
-36.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.61 ₺80.4
-15.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.28 ₺114
-6.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.60 ₺30.20
288.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$11.88 ₺593
276.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$2.03 ₺101
89.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.63 ₺31.28
69.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$6.33 ₺316
160.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.29 ₺64.2
70.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$41.2K ₺2.1M
-17.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$39.0K ₺1.9M
-0.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$87.1 ₺4,351
85.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$12.43 ₺621
48.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$12.50 ₺624
161.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$30.67 ₺1,532
45.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$5.89 ₺294
224.28%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$4.05 ₺202
137.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$256 ₺12.8K
160.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$23.82 ₺1,189
328.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$30.41 ₺1,518
46.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$69.7 ₺3,479
41.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$60.4 ₺3,018
104.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$354 ₺17.7K
354.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$246 ₺12.3K
383.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$738 ₺36.9K
280.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$612 ₺30.6K
228.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$973 ₺48.6K
705.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$664 ₺33.2K
588.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Samsun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$934 ₺46.7K
68.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
49
-92.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Samsun: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Samsun
$246 79.3% $944
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Samsun
$264 3.2% $8.6
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Samsun
$177 26.9% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Samsun
$112 47.2% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Samsun
$83 50% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Samsun
$39 39.2% $25
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Samsun
$19 69.2% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $354 in Samsun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 69% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $59 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $264 per month, with Samsun cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇹🇷 Samsun
🕒 Local time
23:54 11:54 PM
02:54 2:54 AM
3 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
1,295,927
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 49.93 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Samsun 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Samsun

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Samsun?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $940 in Samsun, so Samsun is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Samsun?
Average pay runs 69% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Samsun?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $354 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Samsun?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $256 in Samsun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Samsun?
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.
Is Lisbon or Samsun safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Samsun are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Samsun?
Expats usually find Samsun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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