Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Szczecin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Szczecin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,402 in Szczecin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,108 in Szczecin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,814 in Szczecin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 65% more expensive than in Szczecin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Szczecin 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.92

$9.64 zł 36.05

79.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$48.86 zł 183

29.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$8.89 zł 33.24

28.12%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.13 zł 11.70

1.92%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.95 zł 7.30

25.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.47 zł 5.51

19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$3.20 zł 11.96

12.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.26 zł 12.20

3.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.92 zł 3.44

34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.37 zł 5.13

44.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.12 zł 4.20

35.71%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$3.38 zł 12.65

19.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$9.72 zł 36.33

39.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.23

$6.81 zł 25.46

23.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.74

$13.56 zł 50.7

34.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$0.94 zł 3.52

143.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.78 zł 6.65

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.62 zł 6.05

14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.44 zł 9.11

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.90 zł 3.37

113.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.09 zł 4.08

91.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.20 zł 4.49

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.63 zł 2.35

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$5.52 zł 20.65

22.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$6.70 zł 25.04

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.12 zł 4.18

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.53 zł 5.70

45.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.83 zł 3.11

189.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

$26.37 zł 98.6

77.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.04 zł 7.62

104.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.96 zł 3.59

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

$13.34 zł 49.88

32.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.57 zł 5.89

47.77%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$32.7K zł 122.3K

8.04%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$30.1K zł 112.7K

37.51%

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

$170 €147

$255 zł 952

-33.08%

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

$19.34 €16.68

$12.85 zł 48.04

50.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.01

$19.61 zł 73.3

71.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.48

$32.14 zł 120

49.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

$51.7 zł 193

-61.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$6.63 zł 24.78

49.62%

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

$717 €619

$353 zł 1,321

103.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$8,189 zł 30.6K

113.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$71.6 zł 268

46.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.49

$36.64 zł 137

28.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$82.8 zł 309

24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$97.2 zł 363

27.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,446

$637 zł 2,382

163.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,096

$521 zł 1,946

144.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,574

$1,226 zł 4,581

143.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,718

$854 zł 3,194

133.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,750

$3,401 zł 12.7K

130.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,017

$2,504 zł 9,360

86.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,365

$1,659 zł 6,202

-4.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.82

-44.43%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Szczecin: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $637 in Szczecin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szczecin pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Szczecin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $218 per month, with Szczecin 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 Szczecin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Szczecin differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,402 including rent). Szczecin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Szczecin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $637 in Szczecin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $353 in Szczecin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,402 in Szczecin versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szczecin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecin 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 Szczecin 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 Szczecin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.