Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shkoder Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shkoder

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $927 in Shkoder.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,350 in Shkoder.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,772 in Shkoder.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 147% more expensive than in Shkoder, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Shkoder is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.95 ALL 486

172.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$32.15 ALL 2,621

96.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.84 ALL 395

113.22%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.81 ALL 148

56.35%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.60 ALL 130

43.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.82 ALL 66.5

92.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.31 ALL 189

47.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.36 ALL 274

19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.06 ALL 168

-47.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.87 ALL 71.2

101.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.95 ALL 159

-9.74%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.94 ALL 239

7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$6.87 ALL 560

91.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.99 ALL 407

59.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.33 ALL 842

50.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.52 ALL 124

55.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.37 ALL 193

-27.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.74 ALL 142

15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.38 ALL 112

76.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.01 ALL 82.5

74.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.21 ALL 98.7

67.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.11 ALL 90.2

72.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.74 ALL 60.2

14.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.09 ALL 334

60.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.02 ALL 491

-7.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.44 ALL 118

-7.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.72 ALL 141

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.49 ALL 39.85

365.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$11.40 ALL 930

301.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.46 ALL 282

22.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.12 ALL 255

-74.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$17.64 ALL 1,439

4.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.10 ALL 171

-0.95%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$35.2K ALL 2.9M

-1.39%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

56.87%

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

$148 €130

$66.9 ALL 5,454

121.37%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$16.83 ALL 1,373

21.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$16.08 ALL 1,311

146.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$41.52 ALL 3,386

15.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$11.87 ALL 968

56.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.02 ALL 573

31.34%

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

$616 €539

$87.5 ALL 7,137

603.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,756 ALL 143.2K

836.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$46.51 ALL 3,793

120.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$11.56 ALL 943

261.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$69.6 ALL 5,672

36.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$142 ALL 11.6K

-14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$306 ALL 24.9K

434.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$298 ALL 24.3K

313.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$357 ALL 29.1K

767.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$339 ALL 27.6K

499.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,825 ALL 148.9K

329.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,223 ALL 99.7K

258.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$572 ALL 46.7K

180.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-23.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $306 in Shkoder. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 181% 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 $32.00 in Shkoder for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $203 per month, with Shkoder 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 Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shkoder differ by about 147% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $927 including rent). Shkoder is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 181% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $306 in Shkoder. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $87.5 in Shkoder. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $927 in Shkoder versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shkoder but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shkoder 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 Shkoder 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 Shkoder gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.