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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,405 in Szczecin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,031 in Szczecin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,657 in Szczecin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 63% more expensive than in Szczecin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Szczecin 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$9.39 zł 35.60

72.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$48.78 zł 185

29.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$8.52 zł 32.29

21.13%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.35 zł 12.69

-15.52%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.85 zł 7.00

23.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.42 zł 5.37

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$3.29 zł 12.46

3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.19 zł 12.09

26.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.96 zł 3.65

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.33 zł 5.04

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.99 zł 3.77

77.78%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.28 zł 12.44

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$9.42 zł 35.69

40.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$6.36 zł 24.10

25.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$12.98 zł 49.18

19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.89 zł 3.38

166.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.79 zł 6.77

-4.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.39 zł 5.26

44.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.15 zł 8.15

13.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.89 zł 3.39

97.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.08 zł 4.08

87.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.02 zł 3.87

88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 zł 2.14

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$5.40 zł 20.45

21.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$6.41 zł 24.30

-12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.09 zł 4.13

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.44 zł 5.46

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.79 zł 3.01

188.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$27.49 zł 104

66.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$2.15 zł 8.13

96.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.01 zł 3.83

-19.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$13.67 zł 51.8

34.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.75 zł 6.63

18.86%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$33.4K zł 126.7K

3.73%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$30.8K zł 116.9K

26.94%

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

$148 €129

$257 zł 974

-42.39%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$10.70 zł 40.56

91.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$17.65 zł 66.9

124.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$30.13 zł 114

59.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$16.53 zł 62.7

12.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$6.85 zł 25.95

34.60%

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

$616 €538

$376 zł 1,424

64.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,122 zł 30.8K

102.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$56.9 zł 216

80.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$30.91 zł 117

35.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$74.2 zł 281

27.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$84.2 zł 319

45.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$658 zł 2,495

148.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$527 zł 1,999

133.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$981 zł 3,718

215.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$817 zł 3,097

148.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$3,435 zł 13.0K

128.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$2,448 zł 9,280

79.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$1,622 zł 6,150

-0.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.36

-40.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Szczecin: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $658 in Szczecin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szczecin pays 1% 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 $267 vs $207 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 63% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,405 including rent). Szczecin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $658 in Szczecin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $376 in Szczecin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,405 in Szczecin versus $2,291 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 63% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.