Cost of Living Comparison Between Shkoder and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Shkoder and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $989 in Shkoder versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Shkoder versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Shkoder versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Shkoder costs roughly 57% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shkoder is 28% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.70 ALL 769

$17.30 €14.93

-43.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.43 ALL 3,045

$63.3 €54.6

-39.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 ALL 507

$11.39 €9.83

-43.81%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ALL 161

$3.19 €2.75

-36.05%

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

$1.94 ALL 154

$2.45 €2.11

-20.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ALL 56.6

$1.76 €1.52

-59.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 ALL 152

$3.59 €3.10

-46.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ALL 247

$3.39 €2.93

-7.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ALL 160

$1.24 €1.07

62.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ALL 74.0

$1.98 €1.71

-53.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ALL 171

$1.52 €1.31

42.11%

Eggs

$2.76 ALL 219

$4.04 €3.49

-31.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.24 ALL 574

$13.54 €11.68

-46.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 ALL 400

$8.39 €7.24

-39.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ALL 860

$18.25 €15.75

-40.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ALL 129

$2.29 €1.98

-29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ALL 186

$1.74 €1.50

35.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ALL 136

$1.86 €1.60

-7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ALL 118

$2.63 €2.27

-43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 ALL 83.1

$1.92 €1.65

-45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ALL 98.4

$2.09 €1.81

-40.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ALL 92.5

$1.44 €1.24

-18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 56.8

$0.84 €0.73

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ALL 353

$6.78 €5.85

-34.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 ALL 511

$5.71 €4.93

12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 ALL 124

$1.38 €1.19

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ALL 147

$2.22 €1.91

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 37.75

$2.40 €2.07

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.52 ALL 913

$46.78 €40.37

-75.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ALL 291

$4.17 €3.60

-11.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 ALL 316

$1.14 €0.98

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.51 ALL 1,467

$17.68 €15.26

4.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 ALL 175

$2.32 €2.01

-4.74%

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

$34.7K ALL 2.7M

$35.3K €30.5K

-1.84%

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

$26.0K ALL 2.1M

$41.4K €35.8K

-37.29%

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

$62.4 ALL 4,947

$170 €147

-63.35%

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

$16.97 ALL 1,345

$19.34 €16.69

-12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.24 ALL 1,367

$33.64 €29.03

-48.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ALL 3,443

$48.10 €41.50

-9.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.41 ALL 983

$19.90 €17.17

-37.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ALL 596

$9.92 €8.56

-24.09%

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

$93.4 ALL 7,404

$717 €619

-86.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,922 ALL 152.3K

$17.5K €15.1K

-89.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 ALL 3,990

$105 €90.4

-51.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.76 ALL 1,011

$46.95 €40.51

-72.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 ALL 6,081

$103 €89.2

-25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 ALL 11.9K

$124 €107

21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ALL 39.3K

$1,677 €1,447

-70.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ALL 24.8K

$1,271 €1,097

-75.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 ALL 29.7K

$2,985 €2,575

-87.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ALL 28.9K

$1,992 €1,719

-81.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,916 ALL 151.8K

$7,826 €6,753

-75.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 ALL 100.6K

$4,658 €4,019

-72.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$574 ALL 45.5K

$1,583 €1,366

-63.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

31.93%

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

Last update for Shkoder: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Shkoder and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 176% 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 Shkoder vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $283 per month, with Shkoder 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

Shkoder vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shkoder and Lisbon differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($989 vs $2,316 including rent). Shkoder is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 176% lower in Lisbon. 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: $496 in Shkoder versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.4 in Shkoder versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Shkoder versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shkoder but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shkoder 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, Shkoder 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 Shkoder gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.