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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $860 in Smolensk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,415 in Smolensk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,970 in Smolensk.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 157% more expensive than Smolensk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Smolensk is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$9.76 ₽712

63.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$37.66 ₽2,749

71.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.80 ₽424

81.21%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.39 ₽174

20.08%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.11 ₽81.2

101.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.52 ₽37.89

188.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.42 ₽103

145.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.61 ₽190

48.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.03 ₽75.0

10.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.59 ₽43.21

196.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.39 ₽102

26.62%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.51 ₽110

113.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.07 ₽808

21.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.42 ₽323

78.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$13.02 ₽950

21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.80 ₽132

28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.91 ₽139

-10.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.83 ₽134

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.19 ₽160

12.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.90 ₽65.4

104.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.94 ₽68.8

112.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.01 ₽73.9

91.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.59 ₽43.29

33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.56 ₽187

158.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.84 ₽499

-16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.93 ₽68.1

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.57 ₽114

89.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.50 ₽36.56

374.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$10.23 ₽747

345.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.00 ₽72.8

329.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.32 ₽23.67

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.17 ₽451

196.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.78 ₽57.1

164.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$15.4K ₽1.1M

122.50%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.4K ₽2.1M

38.14%

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

$148 €127

$69.8 ₽5,095

111.82%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.04 ₽587

155.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$9.24 ₽674

328.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$40.33 ₽2,944

18.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$10.19 ₽744

85.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.75 ₽347

93.26%

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

$614 €528

$154 ₽11.2K

299.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,002 ₽511.1K

129.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$77.2 ₽5,636

35.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$47.93 ₽3,498

-12.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$122 ₽8,872

-22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$84.2 ₽6,145

42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$347 ₽25.3K

368.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$225 ₽16.4K

459.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$577 ₽42.1K

425.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$424 ₽31.0K

376.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,091 ₽79.6K

614.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$695 ₽50.7K

514.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$875 ₽63.9K

83.25%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Smolensk: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $347 in Smolensk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 83% 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 Smolensk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $198 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 157% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $860 including rent). Smolensk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 83% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $347 in Smolensk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $154 in Smolensk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $860 in Smolensk versus $2,210 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 157% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.