Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thessaloniki Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thessaloniki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,665 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,564 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,463 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 36% more expensive than in Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Thessaloniki 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$17.68 €15.24

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$66.5 €57.3

-2.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.71 €10.10

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.30 €3.70

-24.19%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.86 €2.46

-12.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.75 €0.65

122.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.91 €5.10

-41.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$6.56 €5.65

-45.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.70 €1.46

-30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.62 €1.39

20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.76 €3.24

-58.51%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$5.47 €4.72

-26.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$14.25 €12.28

-6.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$11.29 €9.73

-25.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$18.61 €16.04

-2.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.69 €2.32

-13.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.25 €1.94

-23.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.10 €1.81

-8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.85 €2.46

-7.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.25 €1.08

52.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.19 €1.02

77.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.53 €1.32

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.88 €0.76

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.66 €4.88

23.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.35 €8.92

-42.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.05 €1.77

-33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.44 €2.97

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.67 €0.58

255.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$20.66 €17.81

123.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$4.39 €3.79

-4.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.07 €0.92

2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$17.73 €15.28

-2.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.41 €2.08

-6.64%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$29.3K €25.2K

17.75%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$31.4K €27.1K

32.40%

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

$171 €147

$224 €193

-23.78%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$24.35 €20.99

-21.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$31.61 €27.25

8.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$53.2 €45.82

-6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$17.12 €14.76

13.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.60 €9.13

-4.72%

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

$699 €603

$494 €426

41.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$9,202 €7,932

93.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$98.2 €84.6

6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$45.65 €39.35

5.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$123 €106

-16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$139 €119

-7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$634 €546

162.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$499 €430

145.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,097 €946

165.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$845 €729

139.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,874 €3,339

109.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,832 €2,441

63.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,206 €1,040

34.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.65

-33.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $634 in Thessaloniki. 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $66.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $335 per month, with Lisbon 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 Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thessaloniki differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,665 including rent). Thessaloniki 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $634 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $494 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,665 in Thessaloniki versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.