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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,586 in Zakopane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,360 in Zakopane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,135 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 71% above, Zakopane 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.92 zł 30.04

104.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$28.45 zł 108

122.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.72 zł 33.09

18.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.56 zł 13.50

-20.51%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.00 zł 7.58

14.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.79 zł 6.80

-11.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.32 zł 12.61

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.36 zł 12.74

19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.01 zł 3.83

7.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.55 zł 5.90

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.37 zł 5.20

28.47%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.49 zł 9.45

27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.02 zł 26.62

87.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.44 zł 20.66

46.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$5.72 zł 21.69

171.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.83 zł 3.14

185.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.64 zł 6.22

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.68 zł 6.37

19.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.96 zł 11.22

-17.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.34 zł 1.29

417.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.94 zł 3.55

115.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.66 zł 2.51

190.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.61 zł 2.33

39.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.58 zł 17.37

43.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.71 zł 17.86

18.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.04 zł 3.93

27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.67 zł 6.35

77.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.07 zł 4.08

113.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$46.07 zł 175

-0.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.62 zł 6.13

161.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.76 zł 2.89

6.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.44 zł 20.66

238.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.77 zł 6.70

17.51%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$33.6K zł 127.5K

3.21%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.0K zł 94.9K

56.59%

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

$148 €130

$240 zł 909

-38.22%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.30 zł 31.50

146.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$15.18 zł 57.6

160.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$9.36 zł 35.50

412.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$14.74 zł 55.9

26.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$7.13 zł 27.05

29.31%

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

$616 €540

$318 zł 1,207

93.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,414 zł 9,160

581.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$57.3 zł 217

79.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$20.47 zł 77.7

103.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$54.2 zł 206

74.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$49.58 zł 188

146.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$761 zł 2,889

114.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$795 zł 3,018

54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,360 zł 5,160

127.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,654 zł 6,275

22.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,621 zł 17.5K

69.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$4,658 zł 17.7K

-5.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,614 zł 6,126

-0.45%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Zakopane: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $761 in Zakopane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakopane pays 0% 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 $28.00 in Zakopane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 44% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,586 including rent). Zakopane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Zakopane. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $761 in Zakopane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $318 in Zakopane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,586 in Zakopane versus $2,291 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.