Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saransk Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saransk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $874 in Saransk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,390 in Saransk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,906 in Saransk.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 159% more expensive than Saransk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Saransk is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$11.25 ₽815

41.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$38.08 ₽2,760

66.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.74 ₽416

80.84%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.71 ₽197

2.95%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.26 ₽91.0

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.42 ₽30.46

273.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.03 ₽74.7

233.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.08 ₽223

26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.05 ₽75.8

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.56 ₽40.88

216.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.29 ₽93.8

32.56%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.49 ₽108

111.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.55 ₽765

29.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.96 ₽360

61.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$8.84 ₽641

75.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.29 ₽93.6

77.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.68 ₽121

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.00 ₽72.2

94.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.44 ₽177

2.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.72 ₽51.9

148.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.72 ₽52.4

179.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.19 ₽86.5

65.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.55 ₽39.72

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.53 ₽183

168.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$8.33 ₽603

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.00 ₽72.8

39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.50 ₽109

101.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.48 ₽34.61

372.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$25.63 ₽1,857

77.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.94 ₽141

121.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.55 ₽40.03

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$7.85 ₽568

132.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.78 ₽56.4

155.13%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$23.6K ₽1.7M

48.16%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$27.9K ₽2.0M

41.65%

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

$146 €126

$111 ₽8,046

31.63%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$3.24 ₽235

531.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$7.44 ₽539

423.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$35.33 ₽2,560

38.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$3.72 ₽269

406.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.23 ₽452

52.81%

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

$608 €524

$339 ₽24.5K

79.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,011 ₽290.6K

311.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$45.11 ₽3,269

130.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$31.85 ₽2,308

32.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$63.4 ₽4,595

45.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$38.41 ₽2,783

212.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$509 ₽36.8K

218.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$254 ₽18.4K

398.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$769 ₽55.8K

296.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$506 ₽36.7K

297.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,631 ₽118.2K

369.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,114 ₽80.8K

288.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$472 ₽34.2K

236.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

16.33

-76.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Saransk: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $509 in Saransk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 236% 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 $38.00 in Saransk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $183 per month, with Saransk 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 Saransk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saransk differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $874 including rent). Saransk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 236% 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 $509 in Saransk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $339 in Saransk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $874 in Saransk versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saransk but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saransk 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 Saransk 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 Saransk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.