Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Žalec Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Žalec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,719 in Žalec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,481 in Žalec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,242 in Žalec.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 34% more expensive than in Žalec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Žalec 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$10.44 €9.09

68.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$41.80 €36.38

50.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$7.99 €6.95

44.93%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.04 €1.77

51.96%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$3.32 €2.89

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.72 €1.49

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.97 €3.45

-12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.16 €3.62

-17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.39 €1.21

-17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.30 €2.00

-16.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.88 €1.64

-20.21%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$4.12 €3.59

-3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$9.33 €8.12

42.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$10.15 €8.83

-21.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$15.08 €13.13

19.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.97 €1.72

19.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.66 €1.44

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.95 €1.69

-5.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.98 €2.59

-14.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.08 €0.94

70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.83 €0.73

153.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.41 €1.23

5.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.79 €0.69

3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.04 €5.26

17.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$7.11 €6.19

-16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.44 €1.25

-9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.90 €1.66

12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.42 €1.24

66.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$31.89 €27.76

46.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.98 €1.72

106.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.35 €1.18

-15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$19.52 €16.99

-12.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.69 €1.47

36.69%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$30.5K €26.6K

11.76%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$25.7K €22.4K

60.77%

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

$169 €147

$304 €265

-44.56%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$17.26 €15.02

11.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$29.10 €25.33

15.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$66.3 €57.7

-26.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$10.39 €9.04

-7.89%

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

$696 €606

$675 €588

3.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$14.4K €12.5K

20.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$97.4 €84.8

8.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$37.87 €32.96

26.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$112 €97.3

-10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$127 €111

-2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$753 €655

120.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$586 €510

112.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$1,219 €1,061

143.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$999 €870

105.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$3,366 €2,929

132.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$3,378 €2,940

32.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$1,518 €1,321

7.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.61

4.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Žalec: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $753 in Žalec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 7% 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 $42.00 in Žalec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $273 per month, with Žalec 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 Žalec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Žalec differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,719 including rent). Žalec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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 $753 in Žalec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $675 in Žalec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,719 in Žalec versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Žalec but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Žalec 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 Žalec 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 Žalec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.