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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $872 in Saransk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,404 in Saransk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,936 in Saransk.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 155% more expensive than Saransk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Saransk is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$11.30 ₽849

43.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$37.89 ₽2,846

70.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.86 ₽440

77.13%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.56 ₽192

8.20%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.26 ₽94.8

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.46 ₽34.51

241.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.00 ₽75.0

249.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.13 ₽235

27.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.01 ₽75.8

6.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.60 ₽45.32

190.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.34 ₽101

29.85%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.51 ₽113

110.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$10.35 ₽777

29.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.87 ₽366

64.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.58 ₽644

87.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.29 ₽97.0

76.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.68 ₽126

2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.93 ₽69.5

108.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.57 ₽193

-1.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.74 ₽55.8

147.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.72 ₽53.9

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.24 ₽93.0

59.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.58 ₽43.88

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.56 ₽192

167.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$8.18 ₽614

-29.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.99 ₽74.6

38.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.54 ₽115

88.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.51 ₽38.37

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$25.74 ₽1,933

81.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.93 ₽145

111.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.55 ₽41.15

49.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.79 ₽585

134.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.72 ₽54.3

179.17%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$24.0K ₽1.8M

47.03%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.7K ₽2.1M

38.95%

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

$145 €124

$111 ₽8,349

30.81%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$3.18 ₽239

559.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$7.16 ₽538

459.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$35.12 ₽2,638

38.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$3.87 ₽291

382.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.50 ₽488

39.38%

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

$607 €519

$333 ₽25.0K

82.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,900 ₽292.9K

318.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$45.10 ₽3,387

132.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$31.30 ₽2,351

30.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$64.2 ₽4,822

45.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$37.50 ₽2,817

216.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$506 ₽38.0K

217.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$254 ₽19.1K

387.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$765 ₽57.4K

298.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$502 ₽37.7K

309.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,580 ₽118.6K

388.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,062 ₽79.7K

301.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$404 ₽30.4K

291.97%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Saransk: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $506 in Saransk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 292% 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 $38.00 in Saransk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $182 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 155% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $872 including rent). Saransk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 292% 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 $506 in Saransk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $333 in Saransk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $872 in Saransk versus $2,227 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 155% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.