Cost of Living Comparison Between Saransk and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Saransk and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $874 in Saransk versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,390 in Saransk versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,906 in Saransk versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Saransk costs roughly 61% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saransk is 35% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₽815

$15.94 €13.73

-29.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.08 ₽2,760

$63.4 €54.6

-39.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ₽416

$10.38 €8.95

-44.70%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ₽197

$2.79 €2.40

-2.87%

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

$1.26 ₽91.0

$2.34 €2.01

-46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₽30.46

$1.57 €1.35

-73.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₽74.7

$3.43 €2.95

-69.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₽223

$3.91 €3.37

-21.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 ₽75.8

$1.08 €0.93

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 ₽40.88

$1.77 €1.52

-68.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₽93.8

$1.71 €1.47

-24.56%

Eggs

$1.49 ₽108

$3.15 €2.71

-52.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₽765

$13.68 €11.79

-22.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 ₽360

$8.01 €6.90

-38.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 ₽641

$15.52 €13.37

-43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 ₽93.6

$2.29 €1.98

-43.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ₽121

$1.64 €1.41

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ₽72.2

$1.94 €1.67

-48.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 ₽177

$2.51 €2.17

-2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₽51.9

$1.79 €1.54

-59.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽52.4

$2.01 €1.73

-64.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₽86.5

$1.97 €1.69

-39.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₽39.72

$0.84 €0.73

-34.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 ₽183

$6.79 €5.85

-62.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 ₽603

$5.67 €4.89

46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₽72.8

$1.39 €1.20

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₽109

$3.02 €2.60

-50.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ₽34.61

$2.27 €1.95

-78.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.63 ₽1,857

$45.44 €39.15

-43.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₽141

$4.29 €3.70

-54.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₽40.03

$0.85 €0.73

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 ₽568

$18.28 €15.75

-57.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 ₽56.4

$1.99 €1.71

-60.80%

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

$23.6K ₽1.7M

$35.0K €30.2K

-32.50%

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

$27.9K ₽2.0M

$39.5K €34.1K

-29.40%

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

$111 ₽8,046

$146 €126

-24.03%

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

$3.24 ₽235

$20.45 €17.62

-84.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.44 ₽539

$38.98 €33.58

-80.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 ₽2,560

$48.98 €42.21

-27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.72 ₽269

$18.83 €16.22

-80.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ₽452

$9.52 €8.21

-34.56%

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

$339 ₽24.5K

$608 €524

-44.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,011 ₽290.6K

$16.5K €14.2K

-75.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.11 ₽3,269

$104 €89.5

-56.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 ₽2,308

$42.12 €36.29

-24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 ₽4,595

$92.2 €79.5

-31.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.41 ₽2,783

$120 €103

-68.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ₽36.8K

$1,621 €1,397

-68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₽18.4K

$1,268 €1,092

-79.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 ₽55.8K

$3,048 €2,626

-74.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₽36.7K

$2,009 €1,731

-74.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,631 ₽118.2K

$7,663 €6,602

-78.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 ₽80.8K

$4,329 €3,730

-74.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$472 ₽34.2K

$1,585 €1,366

-70.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

3.81

328.61%

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

Last update for Saransk: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Saransk and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 236% 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: $38.00 in Saransk vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $269 per month, with Saransk cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saransk vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saransk and Lisbon differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($874 vs $2,263 including rent). Saransk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 236% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $509 in Saransk versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $339 in Saransk versus $608 in Lisbon. 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 $874 in Saransk versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saransk but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saransk 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, Saransk 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 Saransk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.