Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zakynthos

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakynthos: $1,703 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Zakynthos, Greece
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Zakynthos
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,703
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Zakynthos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Zakynthos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,703 in Zakynthos.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Zakynthos $1,703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,575 in Zakynthos.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Zakynthos $2,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,447 in Zakynthos.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Zakynthos $3,447

Living in Lisbon is roughly 30% more expensive than in Zakynthos.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Zakynthos 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$28.49 €25.42
-41.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$55.3 €49.34
11.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$11.11 €9.91
2.25%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$4.52 €4.03
-34.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$5.70 €5.08
-59.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.58 €0.51
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$5.07 €4.52
-32.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$6.55 €5.84
-49.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$2.38 €2.13
-51.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.98 €1.77
-3.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.69 €2.40
-43.87%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$4.58 €4.09
-12.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$14.71 €13.13
-12.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$15.19 €13.55
-48.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$12.06 €10.76
47.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.72 €3.32
-38.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.08 €1.85
-16.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.35 €1.20
37.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$2.10 €1.87
23.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.13 €1.01
61.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.10 €0.98
79.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.08 €0.97
36.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.98 €1.77
-63.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$5.31 €4.74
23.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$7.20 €6.42
-22.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.76 €1.57
-22.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.64 €2.36
-18.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.93 €1.72
20.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.86
$49.55 €44.21
-9.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.43
$4.25 €3.79
-9.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.09 €0.97
-1.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$15.49 €13.82
6.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.99 €1.77
10.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$27.6K €24.7K
23.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$26.5K €23.6K
46.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$205 €183
-21.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$41.59 €37.11
-55.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$30.65 €27.35
6.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$50.7 €45.21
-12.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
$25.86 €23.07
-26.14%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$9.86 €8.79
-2.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$406 €363
64.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$8,882 €7,925
98.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$113 €101
-10.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$40.22 €35.89
10.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$122 €109
-19.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$141 €126
-12.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$392 €350
309.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$383 €342
210.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$768 €685
266.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
$560 €500
259.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$2,434 €2,172
222.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$1,942 €1,732
135.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Zakynthos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
$1,307 €1,166
20.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.48
-14.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zakynthos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Zakynthos
$383 67.8% $807
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Zakynthos
$338 24.2% $66
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Zakynthos
$379 56.3% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Zakynthos
$277 30.4% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Zakynthos
$188 13.1% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Zakynthos
$70 10.4% $6.6
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Zakynthos
$67 6% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $392 in Zakynthos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $55 in Zakynthos. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $338, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇷 Zakynthos
🕒 Local time
18:21 6:21 PM
20:21 8:21 PM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
39,015
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Zakynthos 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Zakynthos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zakynthos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Zakynthos?
Average pay runs 21% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Zakynthos?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $392 in Zakynthos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Zakynthos?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $406 in Zakynthos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,703 in Zakynthos versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zakynthos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zakynthos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Zakynthos?
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.
Is Lisbon or Zakynthos safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Zakynthos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Zakynthos?
It comes down to priorities – Zakynthos wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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