Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,025 in Warsaw versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,904 in Warsaw versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Warsaw versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Warsaw costs roughly 12% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warsaw 52% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 zł 40.81

$16.19 €14.17

-33.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 zł 215

$63.3 €55.4

-10.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 zł 35.89

$10.32 €9.03

-8.43%

Cappuccino

$4.17 zł 15.83

$2.83 €2.48

47.35%

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

$2.10 zł 7.99

$2.29 €2.00

-8.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 zł 6.94

$1.58 €1.38

15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 zł 16.97

$3.40 €2.98

31.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 zł 17.24

$4.03 €3.52

12.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 zł 4.52

$1.09 €0.95

9.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 zł 5.40

$1.75 €1.53

-18.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.79

$1.76 €1.54

1.70%

Eggs

$3.57 zł 13.57

$3.17 €2.77

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 zł 37.91

$13.19 €11.54

-24.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 zł 26.30

$7.97 €6.97

-13.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 zł 55.2

$15.53 €13.59

-6.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 zł 4.94

$2.37 €2.07

-45.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 zł 7.07

$1.71 €1.49

8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 zł 7.35

$2.01 €1.76

-3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 zł 14.30

$2.43 €2.13

55.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 zł 4.01

$1.76 €1.54

-39.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.70

$2.03 €1.78

-38.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 zł 5.48

$1.92 €1.68

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 zł 2.73

$0.85 €0.74

-15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 zł 21.07

$6.58 €5.76

-15.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 zł 29.43

$5.58 €4.88

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 zł 5.21

$1.33 €1.17

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 zł 7.09

$2.97 €2.60

-37.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 zł 4.43

$2.28 €1.99

-48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.63 zł 113

$45.79 €40.06

-35.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 zł 10.12

$4.23 €3.70

-37.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.86

$0.81 €0.71

25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.35 zł 50.7

$18.44 €16.13

-27.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 zł 6.79

$2.08 €1.82

-13.94%

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

$32.8K zł 124.4K

$34.7K €30.3K

-5.52%

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

$32.6K zł 123.7K

$39.2K €34.3K

-16.81%

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

$357 zł 1,354

$148 €130

140.83%

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

$10.23 zł 38.84

$20.46 €17.90

-50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 zł 66.4

$39.56 €34.61

-55.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.37 zł 169

$47.99 €41.99

-7.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.18 zł 111

$18.60 €16.27

56.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 zł 35.67

$9.22 €8.07

1.84%

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

$571 zł 2,170

$616 €539

-7.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K zł 58.2K

$16.4K €14.4K

-6.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 zł 375

$103 €89.9

-3.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 zł 178

$41.74 €36.52

12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 zł 360

$94.8 €82.9

-0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 zł 415

$122 €107

-10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 zł 4,309

$1,633 €1,428

-30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 zł 3,501

$1,232 €1,078

-25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 zł 7,939

$3,098 €2,711

-32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 zł 5,796

$2,031 €1,777

-24.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,322 zł 24.0K

$7,831 €6,851

-19.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,919 zł 14.9K

$4,389 €3,840

-10.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,150 zł 8,165

$1,607 €1,406

33.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

3.81

98.16%

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

Last update for Warsaw: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,135 in Warsaw and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Warsaw pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Warsaw vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $267 per month, with Warsaw 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

Warsaw vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Warsaw and Lisbon differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,025 vs $2,291 including rent). Warsaw is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Warsaw, 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: $1,135 in Warsaw versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $571 in Warsaw versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,025 in Warsaw versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Warsaw but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Warsaw 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, Warsaw 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 Warsaw gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.