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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,142 in Szombathely.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,630 in Szombathely.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,117 in Szombathely.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than in Szombathely, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Szombathely is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$8.60 Ft 2,733

88.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$43.64 Ft 13.9K

45.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.27 Ft 2,627

24.79%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.10 Ft 666

34.76%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.09 Ft 346

110.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.92 Ft 292

71.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.60 Ft 508

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.17 Ft 690

85.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.10 Ft 350

-0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.50 Ft 478

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.83 Ft 581

-3.83%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.50 Ft 796

26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.10 Ft 2,892

44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.03 Ft 1,916

32.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$14.44 Ft 4,590

7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.96 Ft 624

20.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.85 Ft 588

-7.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.13 Ft 676

-5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.86 Ft 910

-15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.18 Ft 375

49.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.30 Ft 412

56.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.78 Ft 567

7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.58 Ft 183

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$7.12 Ft 2,263

-7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$4.83 Ft 1,534

15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.17 Ft 372

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.55 Ft 492

91.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.83 Ft 264

174.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$17.93 Ft 5,698

155.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.66 Ft 846

59.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.15 Ft 366

-29.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$22.21 Ft 7,059

-16.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.68 Ft 533

23.81%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.5K Ft 8.7M

26.16%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.2K Ft 8.3M

49.62%

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

$148 €130

$165 Ft 52.3K

-10.00%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$27.78 Ft 8,827

-26.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$19.85 Ft 6,308

99.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$45.59 Ft 14.5K

5.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$17.06 Ft 5,420

9.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.21 Ft 1,338

119.00%

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

$616 €539

$397 Ft 126.2K

55.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,179 Ft 2.3M

129.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$93.2 Ft 29.6K

10.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$44.69 Ft 14.2K

-6.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$93.2 Ft 29.6K

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$100 Ft 31.9K

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$430 Ft 136.5K

279.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$319 Ft 101.4K

286.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$436 Ft 138.5K

610.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$345 Ft 109.5K

489.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,531 Ft 804.2K

209.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,096 Ft 666.0K

109.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,203 Ft 382.2K

33.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.5

-49.20%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $430 in Szombathely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 34% 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 $44.00 in Szombathely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $227 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 101% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,142 including rent). Szombathely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $430 in Szombathely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $397 in Szombathely. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,142 in Szombathely versus $2,291 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 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.