Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zatec Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zatec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,275 in Zatec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,032 in Zatec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,790 in Zatec.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 82% more expensive than in Zatec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Zatec is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$7.31 Kč 152

136.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$19.30 Kč 401

227.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.37 Kč 195

21.56%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.04 Kč 63.2

4.93%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.73 Kč 15.21

235.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.97 Kč 20.17

81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.42 Kč 50.2

48.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.16 Kč 65.7

7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.89 Kč 18.55

39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.46 Kč 30.35

35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.45 Kč 50.9

-37.96%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.61 Kč 54.3

54.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$6.10 Kč 127

121.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$5.65 Kč 117

48.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.06 Kč 147

158.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.32 Kč 27.48

73.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.66 Kč 34.48

4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.25 Kč 46.72

-17.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.51 Kč 73.0

-25.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.99 Kč 20.65

93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.10 Kč 22.82

90.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.68 Kč 34.86

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.55 Kč 11.41

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.41 Kč 133

5.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.67 Kč 118

0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.93 Kč 19.25

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.74 Kč 36.07

27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.32 Kč 6.73

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$27.20 Kč 565

71.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.93 Kč 60.9

42.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.97 Kč 40.87

-42.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$17.35 Kč 361

1.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.89 Kč 39.31

22.75%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$32.8K Kč 681.1K

7.84%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$30.7K Kč 638.9K

34.84%

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

$170 €146

$312 Kč 6,492

-45.47%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$23.42 Kč 487

-17.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$19.60 Kč 407

71.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$65.0 Kč 1,351

-26.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$20.06 Kč 417

-0.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$13.72 Kč 285

-27.70%

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

$717 €617

$766 Kč 15.9K

-6.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$12.1K Kč 252.2K

44.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$94.2 Kč 1,958

11.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$39.63 Kč 824

18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$48.61 Kč 1,010

112.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$127 Kč 2,644

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$377 Kč 7,828

345.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$345 Kč 7,178

268.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,090 Kč 22.7K

173.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,003 Kč 20.9K

98.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$5,182 Kč 107.7K

51.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$4,180 Kč 86.9K

11.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,190 Kč 24.7K

33.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.64

-18.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Zatec: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $377 in Zatec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 33% 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 $19.00 in Zatec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $193 per month, with Zatec 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 Zatec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zatec differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,275 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $377 in Zatec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $766 in Zatec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,275 in Zatec versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zatec but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zatec 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 Zatec 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 Zatec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.