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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,010 in Samsun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,499 in Samsun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,988 in Samsun.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than Samsun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Samsun is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.66 ₺346

111.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$25.00 ₺1,129

158.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.71 ₺393

19.17%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.77 ₺125

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.30 ₺58.6

73.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.26 ₺11.77

503.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.94 ₺133

18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.04 ₺137

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.07 ₺48.29

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.36 ₺16.34

383.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$3.85 ₺174

-54.81%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.72 ₺77.5

84.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.62 ₺389

55.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$9.97 ₺450

-19.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$19.19 ₺866

-16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.24 ₺55.8

83.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.11 ₺49.98

54.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.92 ₺41.40

110.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.24 ₺56.1

104.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.61 ₺27.44

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.60 ₺27.27

240.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.74 ₺33.46

167.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.67 ₺30.20

26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.11 ₺95.1

224.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.86 ₺355

-26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.05 ₺92.7

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.56 ₺116

13.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.55 ₺24.65

314.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$9.47 ₺428

394.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.21 ₺99.9

84.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.64 ₺29.00

28.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$4.68 ₺211

290.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.13 ₺50.9

77.88%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$42.5K ₺1.9M

-17.11%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$50.2K ₺2.3M

-23.30%

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

$145 €124

$50.2 ₺2,266

189.70%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$10.90 ₺492

92.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$11.28 ₺509

255.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$81.1 ₺3,659

-39.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.88 ₺265

54.08%

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

$607 €519

$511 ₺23.1K

18.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,745 ₺169.1K

336.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$37.61 ₺1,698

178.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$44.91 ₺2,027

-8.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$88.2 ₺3,982

6.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$43.58 ₺1,967

172.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$494 ₺22.3K

224.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$336 ₺15.2K

267.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$737 ₺33.3K

313.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$528 ₺23.8K

289.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,685 ₺166.3K

109.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$3,055 ₺137.9K

39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,030 ₺46.5K

53.83%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Samsun: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $494 in Samsun. 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Samsun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $238 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,010 including rent). Samsun 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $494 in Samsun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $511 in Samsun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,010 in Samsun versus $2,227 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 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.