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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,078 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,643 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,208 in Szeged.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 112% more expensive than in Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Szeged is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$7.76 Ft 2,456

102.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$45.37 Ft 14.4K

39.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$5.71 Ft 1,806

83.01%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.96 Ft 620

48.47%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.37 Ft 433

67.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.99 Ft 314

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.37 Ft 748

50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.16 Ft 683

83.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.11 Ft 350

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.46 Ft 460

20.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.84 Ft 583

-7.61%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.82 Ft 893

15.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.83 Ft 2,477

69.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$5.89 Ft 1,863

30.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$11.22 Ft 3,550

40.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.86 Ft 587

22.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.77 Ft 559

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.04 Ft 646

-0.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.94 Ft 930

-15.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.05 Ft 333

70.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.20 Ft 380

72.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.44 Ft 456

36.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.44 Ft 140

88.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$7.24 Ft 2,292

-9.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$4.95 Ft 1,565

12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.00 Ft 316

33.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.19 Ft 375

152.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.56 Ft 493

45.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$28.00 Ft 8,860

65.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$2.85 Ft 900

48.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.33 Ft 419

-36.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$17.08 Ft 5,405

10.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.76 Ft 557

14.77%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$26.4K Ft 8.3M

32.61%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$25.5K Ft 8.1M

55.61%

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

$148 €129

$106 Ft 33.6K

39.49%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$24.84 Ft 7,860

-17.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$18.55 Ft 5,870

113.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$39.81 Ft 12.6K

21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$20.18 Ft 6,385

-8.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$7.95 Ft 2,517

14.47%

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

$615 €536

$217 Ft 68.8K

182.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,385 Ft 2.0M

155.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$89.0 Ft 28.2K

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$25.65 Ft 8,116

64.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$87.6 Ft 27.7K

5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$107 Ft 33.7K

14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$436 Ft 137.8K

269.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$341 Ft 107.8K

267.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$662 Ft 209.4K

363.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$550 Ft 173.9K

270.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$3,269 Ft 1.0M

137.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$2,387 Ft 755.4K

79.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,336 Ft 422.7K

19.90%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Szeged: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $436 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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 $267 vs $207 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,078 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $436 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $217 in Szeged. 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 $1,078 in Szeged versus $2,280 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 112% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.