Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saransk and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saransk: $1,154 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Saransk
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Saransk Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Saransk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,154

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saransk 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 Saransk and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Saransk versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

Saransk $1,154
Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,839 in Saransk versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

Saransk $1,839
Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,523 in Saransk versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Saransk $2,523
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Saransk costs roughly 48% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saransk is 15% below, Lisbon is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 ₽1,198

$16.86 €15.00

-13.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 ₽4,523

$61.0 €54.3

-9.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.28 ₽595

$10.98 €9.77

-33.70%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ₽275

$3.05 €2.71

10.16%

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

$1.80 ₽147

$2.28 €2.03

-21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽60.5

$1.68 €1.50

-55.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 ₽163

$3.44 €3.06

-42.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 ₽320

$3.91 €3.48

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽98.4

$1.15 €1.02

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₽63.8

$1.89 €1.68

-58.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ₽117

$1.50 €1.34

-4.67%

Eggs

$1.56 ₽127

$4.12 €3.66

-62.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 ₽981

$13.01 €11.57

-7.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 ₽419

$8.04 €7.16

-36.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 ₽1,119

$17.89 €15.92

-23.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽139

$2.27 €2.02

-25.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ₽142

$1.74 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 ₽137

$1.82 €1.62

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 ₽296

$2.69 €2.39

34.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ₽59.6

$1.77 €1.57

-58.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽49.77

$1.94 €1.72

-68.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ₽107

$1.46 €1.30

-10.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₽59.2

$0.76 €0.68

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₽275

$6.66 €5.92

-49.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₽696

$5.64 €5.02

50.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₽96.0

$1.29 €1.15

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₽213

$2.14 €1.90

21.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽46.74

$2.30 €2.05

-75.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.40 ₽2,079

$44.02 €39.17

-42.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₽180

$3.98 €3.54

-44.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ₽34.22

$0.64 €0.57

-34.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 ₽609

$18.93 €16.84

-60.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₽69.4

$2.28 €2.03

-62.72%

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

$53.2K ₽4.4M

$33.4K €29.7K

59.41%

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

$39.5K ₽3.2M

$38.5K €34.3K

2.56%

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

$141 ₽11.5K

$158 €141

-11.06%

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

$6.75 ₽552

$17.54 €15.61

-61.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.51 ₽696

$31.18 €27.75

-72.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.56 ₽3,156

$44.64 €39.73

-13.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.06 ₽2,215

$18.98 €16.89

42.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 ₽610

$9.58 €8.52

-22.23%

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

$314 ₽25.7K

$674 €599

-53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,219 ₽590.8K

$18.7K €16.7K

-61.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 ₽6,305

$102 €90.9

-24.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₽4,576

$45.90 €40.85

21.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₽11.4K

$102 €91.0

36.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 ₽6,822

$122 €109

-31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₽40.3K

$1,641 €1,460

-70.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₽26.3K

$1,187 €1,057

-72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 ₽75.9K

$2,825 €2,514

-67.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₽47.8K

$2,018 €1,796

-71.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,273 ₽186.0K

$7,836 €6,973

-70.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,563 ₽127.9K

$4,701 €4,183

-66.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$681 ₽55.7K

$1,687 €1,501

-59.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.88

3.82

446.60%

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

Last update for Saransk: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saransk

$321 27.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 270% $866

Groceries & Markets

Saransk

$223 19.4%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 22.9% $51

Eating Out

Saransk

$207 18%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 18.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Saransk

$160 13.9%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 4.6% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saransk

$156 13.5%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 32.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Saransk

$53 4.6%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 19.3% $10

Getting Around

Saransk

$32 2.8%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 88.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $492 in Saransk and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Saransk vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $275 per month, with Saransk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Saransk

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

03:24 3:24 AM

3 h behind Saransk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

320,612

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.13 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saransk Lisbon 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Saransk
Lisbon

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,154 in Saransk and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Saransk is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Saransk. 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: $492 in Saransk versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Saransk versus $674 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,154 in Saransk versus $2,206 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.

Expats usually find Saransk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.