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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,184 in Warsaw.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $3,125 in Warsaw.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,066 in Warsaw.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Warsaw, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Warsaw 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$12.19 zł 45.52

41.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$61.8 zł 231

2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$10.60 zł 39.60

7.45%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.61 zł 17.24

-30.80%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$2.52 zł 9.41

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.40 zł 8.97

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$4.86 zł 18.15

-26.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$5.24 zł 19.59

-35.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.15 zł 4.30

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.58 zł 5.92

25.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.82 zł 6.78

-16.48%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$3.98 zł 14.86

1.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$9.70 zł 36.24

39.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$7.33 zł 27.37

14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$15.32 zł 57.2

19.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.32 zł 4.94

73.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.78 zł 6.66

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.84 zł 6.88

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$4.06 zł 15.19

-35.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.94 zł 3.49

104.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.93 zł 3.46

124.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.57 zł 5.85

-8.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.72 zł 2.69

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$6.54 zł 24.42

3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$6.63 zł 24.78

-13.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.14 zł 4.26

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.88 zł 7.03

18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.20 zł 4.50

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$29.66 zł 111

57.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.63 zł 9.83

58.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.32 zł 4.92

-13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$13.55 zł 50.6

30.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.68 zł 6.28

38.10%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$32.3K zł 120.6K

9.51%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$32.0K zł 119.6K

29.49%

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

$170 €147

$372 zł 1,389

-54.19%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$8.79 zł 32.82

120.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$17.37 zł 64.9

93.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$51.6 zł 193

-6.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$29.74 zł 111

-33.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$9.82 zł 36.70

1.02%

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

$717 €619

$608 zł 2,272

17.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$15.4K zł 57.5K

13.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$115 zł 430

-9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$42.18 zł 158

11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$116 zł 432

-10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$125 zł 469

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$1,250 zł 4,669

34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$984 zł 3,675

29.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$2,138 zł 7,988

39.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$1,550 zł 5,790

28.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$6,397 zł 23.9K

22.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$4,118 zł 15.4K

13.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$2,103 zł 7,856

-24.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.68

-43.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $1,250 in Warsaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $62.0 in Warsaw for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $250 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,184 including rent). Warsaw is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Warsaw. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $1,250 in Warsaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $608 in Warsaw. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,184 in Warsaw versus $2,316 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 6% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.