Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Warsaw Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Warsaw

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $2,024 in Warsaw.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,895 in Warsaw.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,766 in Warsaw.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 10% more expensive than Warsaw, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Warsaw 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$10.65 zł 38.67

51.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$55.9 zł 203

15.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$9.40 zł 34.12

10.43%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$4.30 zł 15.62

-35.58%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.10 zł 7.63

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.89 zł 6.85

-16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$4.43 zł 16.07

-21.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$4.49 zł 16.29

-10.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.19 zł 4.31

-9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.43 zł 5.18

21.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.85 zł 6.71

-5.95%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$3.61 zł 13.10

-11.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$10.31 zł 37.44

30.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$6.90 zł 25.06

15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$14.44 zł 52.4

11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.27 zł 4.59

79.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.78 zł 6.46

-3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.00 zł 7.25

-3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$3.77 zł 13.69

-32.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$1.05 zł 3.82

74.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.22 zł 4.44

67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.51 zł 5.50

31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.71 zł 2.58

19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$5.47 zł 19.86

25.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$8.49 zł 30.81

-31.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.38 zł 5.02

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.88 zł 6.82

54.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.17 zł 4.26

94.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$29.68 zł 108

57.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$2.77 zł 10.07

47.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.03 zł 3.73

-20.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$13.79 zł 50.1

32.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.73 zł 6.27

16.18%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$33.6K zł 121.9K

5.02%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$33.5K zł 121.8K

14.72%

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

$145 €124

$363 zł 1,318

-59.96%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$10.23 zł 37.12

104.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$17.25 zł 62.6

132.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$43.78 zł 159

11.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$28.60 zł 104

-34.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$9.72 zł 35.30

-6.79%

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

$607 €518

$591 zł 2,144

2.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$15.6K zł 56.5K

4.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$100 zł 364

4.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$47.21 zł 171

-13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$94.9 zł 344

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$108 zł 391

10.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$1,144 zł 4,153

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$913 zł 3,313

35.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$2,068 zł 7,507

47.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$1,549 zł 5,623

32.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$6,290 zł 22.8K

22.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$3,953 zł 14.3K

7.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$2,251 zł 8,170

-29.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.55

-49.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,144 in Warsaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $56.0 in Warsaw for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $248 per month, with Warsaw 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 Warsaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Warsaw differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $2,024 including rent). Warsaw is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Warsaw earns 42% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,144 in Warsaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $591 in Warsaw. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,024 in Warsaw versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Warsaw but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Warsaw 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 Warsaw 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 Warsaw gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.