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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,599 in Zakopane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,357 in Zakopane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,114 in Zakopane.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 44% more expensive than in Zakopane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Zakopane 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$8.54 zł 32.48

105.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$30.34 zł 115

107.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.86 zł 33.69

30.70%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.64 zł 13.84

-14.84%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.78 zł 10.56

-10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.15 zł 8.19

-19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.57 zł 9.76

35.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.69 zł 17.82

-26.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.03 zł 3.90

11.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.27 zł 4.83

50.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.34 zł 5.10

11.94%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.38 zł 9.04

67.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$6.90 zł 26.24

92.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.34 zł 20.31

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$5.56 zł 21.16

224.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$0.78 zł 2.98

201.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.50 zł 5.69

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.53 zł 5.81

20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.66 zł 10.13

-4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.33 zł 1.26

457.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.93 zł 3.53

125.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.68 zł 2.60

119.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.67 zł 2.56

22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.47 zł 17.02

58.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$4.85 zł 18.43

21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.10 zł 4.19

19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.56 zł 5.93

36.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.31 zł 4.99

80.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$45.96 zł 175

1.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.63 zł 6.18

150.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.73 zł 2.79

56.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$5.43 zł 20.65

214.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.64 zł 6.22

40.85%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$31.5K zł 119.7K

8.43%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$24.9K zł 94.7K

66.12%

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

$169 €147

$262 zł 995

-35.59%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$8.33 zł 31.70

132.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$17.91 zł 68.1

87.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$9.42 zł 35.83

418.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$14.63 zł 55.6

32.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.65 zł 29.09

25.10%

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

$696 €607

$322 zł 1,225

115.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,407 zł 9,153

621.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$58.3 zł 222

80.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$20.18 zł 76.7

136.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$52.6 zł 200

91.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$49.66 zł 189

150.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$742 zł 2,823

123.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$795 zł 3,025

56.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,356 zł 5,156

118.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,606 zł 6,107

27.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$6,250 zł 23.8K

25.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$6,158 zł 23.4K

-27.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,608 zł 6,117

1.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.5

-41.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Zakopane: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $742 in Zakopane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Zakopane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $166 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 44% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,599 including rent). Zakopane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $742 in Zakopane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $322 in Zakopane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,599 in Zakopane versus $2,296 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 44% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.