Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zgorzelec Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zgorzelec

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,481 in Zgorzelec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,181 in Zgorzelec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,882 in Zgorzelec.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 55% more expensive than in Zgorzelec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Zgorzelec 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$9.22 zł 35.00

90.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$52.8 zł 200

19.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$8.11 zł 30.81

42.79%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.23 zł 12.25

-4.02%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.95 zł 3.60

162.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.66 zł 6.29

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.58 zł 6.00

120.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.11 zł 8.03

63.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.96 zł 3.63

19.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.31 zł 4.96

45.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.47 zł 5.58

2.04%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.82 zł 14.52

4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$8.92 zł 33.85

48.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.28 zł 23.85

27.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$13.64 zł 51.8

32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$0.90 zł 3.41

161.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.58 zł 6.00

10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.77 zł 6.73

4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.62 zł 6.15

57.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.70 zł 2.65

162.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.04 zł 3.95

101.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.29 zł 4.89

15.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.72 zł 2.72

13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.85 zł 18.41

46.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$7.96 zł 30.21

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$0.90 zł 3.43

45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.47 zł 5.58

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.08 zł 4.10

118.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$26.70 zł 101

74.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.42 zł 9.20

68.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.08 zł 4.09

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$13.15 zł 49.92

29.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.62 zł 6.14

42.59%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$31.3K zł 118.7K

9.15%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$28.2K zł 107.2K

46.52%

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

$169 €147

$299 zł 1,134

-43.56%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$7.93 zł 30.12

143.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$19.91 zł 75.6

68.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$39.24 zł 149

24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$23.18 zł 88.0

-16.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$7.96 zł 30.24

20.23%

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

$696 €606

$512 zł 1,945

35.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,726 zł 29.3K

124.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$82.4 zł 313

27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$38.68 zł 147

23.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$89.4 zł 339

12.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$112 zł 424

11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$716 zł 2,717

132.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$492 zł 1,866

153.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$1,165 zł 4,421

154.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$766 zł 2,909

167.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$3,113 zł 11.8K

151.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$2,189 zł 8,309

103.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$1,426 zł 5,414

14.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.63

-42.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Zgorzelec: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $716 in Zgorzelec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% 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 $53.0 in Zgorzelec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $213 per month, with Zgorzelec 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 Zgorzelec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zgorzelec differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,481 including rent). Zgorzelec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $716 in Zgorzelec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $512 in Zgorzelec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,481 in Zgorzelec versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zgorzelec but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zgorzelec 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 Zgorzelec 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 Zgorzelec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.