Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zadar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zadar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,691 in Zadar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,632 in Zadar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,572 in Zadar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 31% more expensive than Zadar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Zadar 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$16.05 €13.80

-0.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$80.7 €69.4

-19.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.88 €6.78

33.38%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.51 €2.16

14.34%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$3.16 €2.72

-29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.12 €1.82

-29.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.38 €2.91

3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.71 €3.19

4.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.18 €1.02

-3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.36 €1.17

28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.12 €2.68

-43.59%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.10 €3.53

-21.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.31 €8.87

30.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$11.73 €10.09

-32.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.18 €9.61

41.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.60 €1.38

44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.54 €1.33

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.15 €1.85

-6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.50 €2.15

-1.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.46 €1.26

26.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.49 €1.28

34.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.97 €0.84

98.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.13 €0.97

-30.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.19 €4.46

27.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.66 €6.59

-25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.34 €1.16

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.40 €1.21

112.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.89 €1.62

25.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$46.27 €39.80

-1.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.16 €2.71

35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.05 €0.91

-21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$8.75 €7.53

109.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.78 €1.53

15.73%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.3K €32.9K

-10.40%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.8K €22.2K

52.51%

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

$148 €127

$183 €158

-19.31%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$22.91 €19.70

-10.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$30.36 €26.12

30.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$41.84 €35.99

14.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$17.05 €14.66

10.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$16.10 €13.85

-42.98%

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

$614 €528

$253 €217

143.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,385 €1,192

1058.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$105 €90.1

-0.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$39.06 €33.60

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$139 €120

-32.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$115 €99.3

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$703 €604

131.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$620 €534

102.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,325 €1,140

128.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,109 €954

82.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,768 €4,102

63.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$4,245 €3,652

0.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,430 €1,230

12.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.7

-18.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zadar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $703 in Zadar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Zadar. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $266, with Zadar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zadar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zadar differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,691 including rent). Zadar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 12% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $703 in Zadar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $253 in Zadar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,691 in Zadar versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zadar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zadar 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 Zadar 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 Zadar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.