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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,271 in Zatec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,909 in Zatec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,546 in Zatec.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 80% more expensive than in Zatec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Zatec is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.89 Kč 146

134.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$18.94 Kč 401

234.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.24 Kč 196

11.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.07 Kč 65.0

-7.82%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.73 Kč 15.39

213.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.89 Kč 18.78

77.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.29 Kč 48.42

48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.63 Kč 55.7

53.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.82 Kč 17.32

32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.39 Kč 29.39

25.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.13 Kč 45.00

-17.37%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.49 Kč 52.6

27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$5.68 Kč 120

132.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.56 Kč 118

43.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.10 Kč 150

118.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.34 Kč 28.38

76.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.66 Kč 35.12

3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.11 Kč 44.65

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.99 Kč 84.4

-39.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.90 Kč 19.01

95.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.32 Kč 27.97

53.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.59 Kč 33.69

20.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.53 Kč 11.21

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.97 Kč 126

10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.79 Kč 123

-3.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.87 Kč 18.37

52.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.79 Kč 37.87

65.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.32 Kč 6.76

612.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$26.10 Kč 553

75.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.86 Kč 60.6

47.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.54 Kč 32.71

-47.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$15.33 Kč 325

20.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.73 Kč 36.68

20.23%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.6K Kč 583.8K

25.76%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.7K Kč 628.9K

31.87%

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

$148 €130

$303 Kč 6,425

-51.20%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$25.01 Kč 530

-18.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$21.07 Kč 446

87.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$54.0 Kč 1,144

-11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$16.53 Kč 350

12.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$11.56 Kč 245

-20.24%

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

$616 €539

$439 Kč 9,288

40.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$14.4K Kč 304.2K

14.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$88.0 Kč 1,863

16.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$40.37 Kč 855

3.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$47.00 Kč 995

101.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$113 Kč 2,400

7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$365 Kč 7,722

347.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$331 Kč 7,001

272.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,164 Kč 24.6K

166.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$882 Kč 18.7K

130.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,424 Kč 93.7K

77.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,823 Kč 81.0K

14.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,155 Kč 24.5K

39.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.56

-31.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Zatec: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $365 in Zatec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 39% 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 $267 vs $189 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 80% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,271 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $365 in Zatec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $439 in Zatec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Zatec versus $2,291 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 80% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.