Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Szeged Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Szeged

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,053 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,625 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,196 in Szeged.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 115% more expensive than Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Szeged is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$7.73 Ft 2,386

106.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$45.19 Ft 13.9K

40.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$5.61 Ft 1,733

85.03%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$1.97 Ft 607

41.62%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$1.36 Ft 421

72.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.93 Ft 286

68.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$2.36 Ft 729

45.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$2.18 Ft 672

79.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.07 Ft 332

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.54 Ft 475

14.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.77 Ft 547

-3.39%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.91 Ft 899

8.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$8.07 Ft 2,492

69.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$5.95 Ft 1,837

34.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$11.31 Ft 3,493

37.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.85 Ft 571

23.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.86 Ft 575

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.03 Ft 625

-4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$2.90 Ft 895

-13.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.02 Ft 315

75.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.19 Ft 368

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.39 Ft 430

41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.47 Ft 145

78.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$7.52 Ft 2,320

-9.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$5.31 Ft 1,638

6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.93 Ft 287

49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.24 Ft 383

143.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.61 Ft 498

40.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$28.00 Ft 8,642

62.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$2.90 Ft 896

47.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.28 Ft 395

-33.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$17.38 Ft 5,365

5.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.75 Ft 540

13.71%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$25.5K Ft 7.9M

37.14%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$25.6K Ft 7.9M

54.74%

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

$146 €127

$104 Ft 32.2K

40.03%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$25.12 Ft 7,754

-18.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$18.72 Ft 5,778

108.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$40.21 Ft 12.4K

21.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$19.90 Ft 6,143

-5.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$7.78 Ft 2,401

22.37%

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

$608 €527

$221 Ft 68.2K

175.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$6,372 Ft 2.0M

159.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$90.3 Ft 27.9K

15.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$26.11 Ft 8,060

61.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$85.8 Ft 26.5K

7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$105 Ft 32.4K

14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$441 Ft 136.0K

267.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$344 Ft 106.1K

268.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$677 Ft 209.0K

350.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$537 Ft 165.7K

274.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$3,386 Ft 1.0M

126.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$2,456 Ft 758.0K

76.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$1,328 Ft 409.8K

19.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.85

-34.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Szeged: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $441 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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 $45.00 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $210 per month, with Szeged 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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Szeged differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,053 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 19% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $441 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $221 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,053 in Szeged versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szeged but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Szeged 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 Szeged 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 Szeged gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.