Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Smolensk Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Smolensk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $862 in Smolensk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,413 in Smolensk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,964 in Smolensk.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than in Smolensk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Smolensk is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.41 ₽739

72.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$37.54 ₽2,947

68.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.77 ₽453

78.86%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.34 ₽184

20.94%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.07 ₽83.8

114.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.48 ₽37.46

229.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.38 ₽108

146.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.51 ₽197

60.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.08 ₽84.5

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.65 ₽51.0

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.41 ₽111

24.82%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.53 ₽120

107.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$11.18 ₽878

17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.46 ₽350

78.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$13.16 ₽1,033

18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.89 ₽148

25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.86 ₽146

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.90 ₽149

5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.27 ₽178

7.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.93 ₽72.9

89.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.99 ₽77.5

105.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.94 ₽74.1

104.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.59 ₽46.11

44.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.59 ₽203

154.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.47 ₽508

-13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.95 ₽74.5

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.57 ₽123

89.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.46 ₽36.36

395.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$10.27 ₽806

345.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.00 ₽78.1

323.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.33 ₽25.78

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.51 ₽511

183.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.79 ₽61.8

163.29%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$15.3K ₽1.2M

127.16%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.2K ₽2.2M

38.68%

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

$148 €130

$71.5 ₽5,611

107.09%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$8.01 ₽628

155.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$8.97 ₽704

341.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$41.49 ₽3,256

15.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$10.19 ₽800

82.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.80 ₽377

92.08%

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

$616 €539

$153 ₽12.0K

301.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,929 ₽543.8K

137.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$74.7 ₽5,863

37.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$48.34 ₽3,794

-13.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$121 ₽9,493

-21.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$83.3 ₽6,534

46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$345 ₽27.1K

372.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$232 ₽18.2K

431.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$598 ₽46.9K

418.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$424 ₽33.3K

378.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,065 ₽83.6K

635.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$660 ₽51.8K

565.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$810 ₽63.6K

98.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.9

-67.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Smolensk: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $345 in Smolensk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 98% 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 Smolensk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $200 per month, with Smolensk 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 Smolensk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Smolensk differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $862 including rent). Smolensk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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 $345 in Smolensk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $153 in Smolensk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $862 in Smolensk versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Smolensk but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Smolensk 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 Smolensk 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 Smolensk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.