Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zakopane Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zakopane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,563 in Zakopane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,340 in Zakopane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,117 in Zakopane.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than Zakopane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Zakopane 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.02 zł 29.22

98.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$28.82 zł 105

124.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.92 zł 32.51

17.83%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.54 zł 12.92

-18.93%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.96 zł 7.14

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.82 zł 6.65

-17.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.24 zł 11.80

7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.18 zł 11.60

22.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.96 zł 3.48

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.58 zł 5.75

10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.38 zł 5.03

27.54%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.46 zł 8.97

30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.10 zł 25.86

90.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.36 zł 19.53

47.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$5.71 zł 20.82

177.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.83 zł 3.04

178.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.58 zł 5.77

7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.67 zł 6.08

20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.96 zł 10.79

-16.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.32 zł 1.15

475.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.88 zł 3.21

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.69 zł 2.52

179.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.65 zł 2.38

21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.69 zł 17.09

40.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.03 zł 18.34

13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.07 zł 3.91

28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.58 zł 5.76

87.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.10 zł 4.03

115.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$45.27 zł 165

0.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.62 zł 5.89

164.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.76 zł 2.79

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.51 zł 20.08

232.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.75 zł 6.36

17.71%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.3K zł 125.0K

-0.03%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$24.8K zł 90.5K

58.31%

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

$148 €127

$240 zł 874

-38.36%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.35 zł 30.45

145.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.24 zł 55.6

159.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$9.27 zł 33.81

416.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.84 zł 54.1

27.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.88 zł 25.08

33.43%

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

$614 €528

$312 zł 1,138

96.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,436 zł 8,880

558.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$57.9 zł 211

80.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$20.57 zł 75.0

104.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$55.1 zł 201

70.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$50.4 zł 184

137.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$752 zł 2,742

116.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$804 zł 2,929

56.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,382 zł 5,038

119.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,606 zł 5,855

25.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,953 zł 18.1K

57.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$4,743 zł 17.3K

-9.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,686 zł 6,146

-4.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.5

-41.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zakopane: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $752 in Zakopane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakopane pays 5% 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 $29.00 in Zakopane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $173 per month, with Zakopane 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 Zakopane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zakopane differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,563 including rent). Zakopane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zakopane earns 5% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $752 in Zakopane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $312 in Zakopane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,563 in Zakopane versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zakopane but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zakopane 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 Zakopane 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 Zakopane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.