Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samsun Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samsun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,012 in Samsun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,508 in Samsun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,005 in Samsun.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 125% more expensive than in Samsun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Samsun is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.67

$7.59 ₺360

107.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.1

$25.65 ₺1,218

147.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.07

$9.13 ₺434

14.46%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$2.71 ₺129

7.38%

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

$2.29 €1.99

$1.24 ₺58.9

84.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.24 ₺11.30

525.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.78 ₺132

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

$3.03 ₺144

30.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.06 ₺50.1

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.36 ₺17.32

388.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$3.91 ₺186

-56.52%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$1.70 ₺80.7

91.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.49

$8.64 ₺411

53.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.68

$9.98 ₺474

-22.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.68

$18.81 ₺894

-16.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$1.24 ₺59.0

83.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.17 ₺55.6

41.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.92 ₺43.58

119.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.25 ₺59.5

97.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.62 ₺29.36

188.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.62 ₺29.30

233.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.78 ₺37.16

152.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.71 ₺33.90

16.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$2.05 ₺97.6

219.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.83

$9.61 ₺456

-42.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.98 ₺94.3

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$2.56 ₺122

17.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.56 ₺26.52

305.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.21

$9.60 ₺456

382.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$2.26 ₺107

87.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.61 ₺28.76

39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.33

$4.68 ₺222

302.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.13 ₺53.5

78.76%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$43.7K ₺2.1M

-19.99%

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

$39.6K €34.4K

$49.4K ₺2.3M

-19.74%

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

$148 €128

$49.84 ₺2,368

196.81%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$10.88 ₺517

88.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.29

$11.45 ₺544

245.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.79

$83.8 ₺3,981

-42.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.95

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.89

$5.75 ₺273

58.26%

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

$615 €533

$513 ₺24.4K

19.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$3,833 ₺182.1K

324.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.1

$38.57 ₺1,832

163.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.51

$44.57 ₺2,118

-5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.1

$90.4 ₺4,296

2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$43.60 ₺2,071

180.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,398

$498 ₺23.7K

223.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,088

$335 ₺15.9K

274.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,663

$713 ₺33.9K

330.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,767

$518 ₺24.6K

293.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,724

$759 ₺36.0K

921.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,718

$421 ₺20.0K

916.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,390

$971 ₺46.1K

64.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

43.33

-91.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samsun: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $498 in Samsun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 65% 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 $26.00 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $241 per month, with Samsun 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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Samsun differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,012 including rent). Samsun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $498 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $513 in Samsun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Samsun versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samsun but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Samsun 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 Samsun 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 Samsun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.