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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $996 in Shkoder.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,483 in Shkoder.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,969 in Shkoder.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 128% more expensive than in Shkoder, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Shkoder is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$9.43 ALL 744

86.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$39.19 ALL 3,095

64.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.30 ALL 497

84.92%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.06 ALL 163

58.25%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.93 ALL 153

29.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.66 ALL 52.0

153.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.86 ALL 147

86.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.17 ALL 251

12.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.00 ALL 158

-41.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.03 ALL 81.3

89.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.11 ALL 166

-26.07%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.76 ALL 218

45.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.36 ALL 581

80.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.04 ALL 398

67.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.18 ALL 883

63.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.61 ALL 127

44.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.31 ALL 183

-25.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.69 ALL 134

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.49 ALL 118

77.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.04 ALL 82.1

82.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.25 ALL 98.6

68.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.19 ALL 93.7

21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.75 ALL 58.9

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.32 ALL 342

62.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.16 ALL 487

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.62 ALL 128

-16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.85 ALL 146

16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.48 ALL 37.75

395.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$11.58 ALL 914

299.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.80 ALL 300

10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$4.02 ALL 317

-72.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$18.84 ALL 1,488

-8.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.10 ALL 166

7.14%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

-0.15%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.1K ALL 2.1M

59.74%

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

$171 €147

$64.0 ALL 5,056

166.96%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$16.77 ALL 1,324

13.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$17.80 ALL 1,406

92.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$44.21 ALL 3,491

12.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$12.39 ALL 978

57.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.69 ALL 608

31.34%

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

$699 €603

$93.4 ALL 7,379

648.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$1,926 ALL 152.1K

822.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$50.4 ALL 3,977

107.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$12.85 ALL 1,015

273.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$74.9 ALL 5,917

35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$149 ALL 11.8K

-13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$490 ALL 38.7K

238.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$324 ALL 25.6K

279.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$384 ALL 30.3K

659.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$365 ALL 28.9K

453.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,858 ALL 146.8K

337.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,273 ALL 100.5K

264.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$592 ALL 46.7K

173.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-24.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $490 in Shkoder. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 174% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Shkoder for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $210 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 128% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $996 including rent). Shkoder is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 174% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $490 in Shkoder. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $93.4 in Shkoder. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Shkoder versus $2,268 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 128% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.