Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salzburg and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,698 in Salzburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Salzburg
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Salzburg Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Salzburg

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salzburg and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Salzburg and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Salzburg versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Salzburg $2,698
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,032 in Salzburg versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Salzburg $4,032
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,367 in Salzburg versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Salzburg $5,367
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Salzburg is roughly 23% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salzburg 99% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 €15.76

$17.04 €15.15

3.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €69.4

$62.3 €55.4

25.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.78

$11.02 €9.80

20.15%

Cappuccino

$5.20 €4.63

$3.12 €2.78

66.67%

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

$4.63 €4.12

$2.27 €2.02

103.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.63

$1.74 €1.55

134.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.17

$3.42 €3.04

69.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 €4.74

$3.74 €3.33

42.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.17 €1.04

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 €2.73

$1.86 €1.66

65.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$1.54 €1.37

62.99%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.67

$4.06 €3.61

29.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.15 €18.82

$12.91 €11.49

63.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 €13.28

$7.90 €7.03

88.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.71 €21.98

$17.64 €15.69

40.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.26 €2.01

25.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$1.75 €1.55

32.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.29

$1.89 €1.68

95.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.65 €6.80

$2.56 €2.27

198.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.85 €1.64

17.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.97 €1.75

25.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.45 €1.29

33.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.90

$0.77 €0.69

32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.53

$6.71 €5.97

9.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 €8.81

$5.67 €5.04

74.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.37 €1.22

5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.11 €1.88

-10.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.32 €2.07

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 €73.0

$44.43 €39.52

84.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 €4.39

$3.95 €3.51

25.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.05 €0.93

118.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.19 €1.95

-14.16%

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

$30.0K €26.7K

$33.8K €30.0K

-11.31%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-14.59%

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

$397 €353

$164 €146

142.32%

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

$14.06 €12.51

$18.48 €16.43

-23.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.04 €29.38

$32.96 €29.32

0.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.90 €36.38

$45.87 €40.80

-10.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.90 €25.71

$18.68 €16.61

54.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 €13.08

$9.75 €8.67

50.87%

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

$445 €396

$684 €608

-34.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.2K €29.5K

$17.6K €15.7K

88.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €101

$104 €92.3

9.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 €53.4

$46.20 €41.09

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €101

$99.7 €88.7

14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €124

$125 €111

11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,254

$1,589 €1,414

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 €1,004

$1,169 €1,040

-3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,583 €2,297

$2,851 €2,536

-9.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 €1,810

$1,993 €1,773

2.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,142 €8,132

$7,793 €6,932

17.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 €5,744

$4,418 €3,930

46.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,292 €2,928

$1,600 €1,423

105.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.85

-6.23%

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

Last update for Salzburg: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Salzburg

$1.1K 41.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 3.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salzburg

$444 16.5%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 51.5% $229

Groceries & Markets

Salzburg

$434 16.1%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 37.2% $161

Eating Out

Salzburg

$318 11.8%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 22.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Salzburg

$192 7.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 12.3% $24

Getting Around

Salzburg

$109 4.1%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 42.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Salzburg

$70 2.6%

Lisbon

$65 3% 7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,409 in Salzburg and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salzburg pays 106% 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: $78.0 in Salzburg vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Salzburg

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

1 h behind Salzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,083

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Salzburg Lisbon 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Salzburg
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Salzburg vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salzburg and Lisbon differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,698 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Salzburg, 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: $1,409 in Salzburg versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $445 in Salzburg versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Salzburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,698 in Salzburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Salzburg. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Salzburg and Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Salzburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.