Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Szombathely Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Szombathely

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,258 in Szombathely.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,005 in Szombathely.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,753 in Szombathely.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 83% more expensive than in Szombathely, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Szombathely is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.23

$12.59 Ft 3,980

39.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.4

$56.0 Ft 17.7K

12.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.03

$8.98 Ft 2,839

28.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$2.47 Ft 780

25.51%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.40 Ft 441

77.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.33 Ft 422

30.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.01

$1.85 Ft 586

88.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.98

$2.42 Ft 764

42.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.23 Ft 390

-6.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.71 Ft 540

11.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.45 Ft 774

-38.78%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$3.43 Ft 1,084

16.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.51

$10.60 Ft 3,352

25.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$6.99 Ft 2,211

14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.62

$16.95 Ft 5,359

6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.31 Ft 731

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.13 Ft 675

-17.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.56 Ft 811

-27.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$3.44 Ft 1,086

-25.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.17 Ft 369

57.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.44 Ft 454

45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.90 Ft 601

-21.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.61 Ft 192

34.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.15

$8.56 Ft 2,708

-17.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.11

$4.73 Ft 1,495

24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.32 Ft 417

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.66 Ft 841

-19.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$0.86 Ft 273

174.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.36

$27.69 Ft 8,755

68.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.53

$2.85 Ft 901

43.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.40 Ft 443

-18.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.80

$24.55 Ft 7,762

-30.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.89 Ft 598

22.22%

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

$34.1K €29.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.4M

14.62%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$33.9K Ft 10.7M

22.05%

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

$169 €146

$173 Ft 54.6K

-2.48%

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

$19.33 €16.74

$21.19 Ft 6,700

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.01

$21.29 Ft 6,730

57.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.28

$49.16 Ft 15.5K

-0.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.82

$20.03 Ft 6,332

-3.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.28

$4.63 Ft 1,464

106.70%

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

$696 €602

$437 Ft 138.1K

59.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$8,042 Ft 2.5M

115.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.2

$104 Ft 33.0K

0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.34

$53.5 Ft 16.9K

-10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.0

$99.1 Ft 31.3K

1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$116 Ft 36.7K

7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,439

$543 Ft 171.8K

205.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,079

$353 Ft 111.7K

252.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,566

$769 Ft 243.3K

285.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,773

$681 Ft 215.2K

201.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,782

$2,489 Ft 786.9K

214.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,865

$2,030 Ft 641.9K

119.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,412

$1,186 Ft 375.0K

37.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.5

-49.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $543 in Szombathely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 38% 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 $56.0 in Szombathely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $265 per month, with Szombathely 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 Szombathely: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Szombathely differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,258 including rent). Szombathely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $543 in Szombathely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $437 in Szombathely. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,258 in Szombathely versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szombathely but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Szombathely 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 Szombathely 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 Szombathely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.