Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zalaegerszeg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zalaegerszeg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $964 in Zalaegerszeg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,458 in Zalaegerszeg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,952 in Zalaegerszeg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 136% more expensive than in Zalaegerszeg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Zalaegerszeg is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$11.32 Ft 3,567

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$58.7 Ft 18.5K

8.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.43 Ft 2,657

23.96%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.21 Ft 697

31.67%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.62 Ft 512

41.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.25 Ft 395

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.82 Ft 573

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$1.89 Ft 594

109.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.04 Ft 326

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.42 Ft 447

23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.07 Ft 652

-17.87%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.10 Ft 977

4.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$9.67 Ft 3,046

37.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.67 Ft 1,470

64.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.14 Ft 2,250

120.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.40 Ft 441

62.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.92 Ft 604

-13.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.82 Ft 573

10.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.48 Ft 1,097

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.18 Ft 372

51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.26 Ft 398

64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.16 Ft 366

69.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.54 Ft 169

53.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.66 Ft 2,097

-1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.27 Ft 1,975

-11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.90 Ft 284

47.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.46 Ft 459

106.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.09 Ft 342

108.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$17.44 Ft 5,494

165.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.22 Ft 1,015

31.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.02 Ft 321

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$18.83 Ft 5,931

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.82 Ft 572

10.99%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$26.2K Ft 8.3M

33.21%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$31.6K Ft 10.0M

25.47%

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

$148 €128

$135 Ft 42.4K

9.90%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$26.61 Ft 8,383

-22.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$20.00 Ft 6,300

97.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$36.31 Ft 11.4K

32.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$34.25 Ft 10.8K

-46.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$7.07 Ft 2,228

28.71%

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

$615 €532

$200 Ft 63.0K

207.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,237 Ft 2.0M

161.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$29.12 Ft 9,174

248.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$22.62 Ft 7,127

86.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$47.89 Ft 15.1K

92.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$51.0 Ft 16.1K

139.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$317 Ft 99.9K

408.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$272 Ft 85.8K

360.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$425 Ft 133.8K

622.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$286 Ft 90.1K

612.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,887 Ft 594.4K

310.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,589 Ft 500.7K

169.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$784 Ft 246.9K

104.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-45.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $317 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 104% 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 $59.0 in Zalaegerszeg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $199 per month, with Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zalaegerszeg differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $964 including rent). Zalaegerszeg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $317 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $200 in Zalaegerszeg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $964 in Zalaegerszeg versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zalaegerszeg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.