Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakopane and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakopane: $1,490 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Zakopane
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Zakopane Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

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Zakopane

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,490

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,490 in Zakopane versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Zakopane $1,490
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,250 in Zakopane versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Zakopane $2,250
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,010 in Zakopane versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Zakopane $3,010
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Zakopane costs roughly 33% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zakopane 10% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 zł 32.25

$16.50 €14.67

-49.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.27 zł 110

$61.3 €54.5

-53.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 zł 32.26

$11.27 €10.03

-26.35%

Cappuccino

$3.53 zł 13.70

$3.06 €2.72

15.36%

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

$2.63 zł 10.21

$2.26 €2.01

16.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 zł 7.69

$1.73 €1.54

14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 zł 9.51

$3.39 €3.02

-27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 zł 17.36

$3.40 €3.02

31.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 zł 3.80

$1.12 €1.00

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 zł 4.67

$1.86 €1.65

-35.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.81

$1.53 €1.36

-18.95%

Eggs

$2.35 zł 9.14

$3.96 €3.53

-40.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 zł 25.67

$12.76 €11.35

-48.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 zł 19.47

$7.90 €7.02

-36.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 zł 20.35

$16.97 €15.09

-69.12%

Apples (1kg)

$0.73 zł 2.82

$2.27 €2.02

-67.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 zł 5.37

$1.75 €1.55

-21.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.52

$1.85 €1.64

-23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 zł 9.73

$2.57 €2.28

-2.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 zł 1.15

$1.86 €1.65

-84.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 zł 3.47

$2.02 €1.80

-55.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 zł 2.59

$1.44 €1.28

-53.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 zł 2.29

$0.82 €0.73

-28.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 zł 16.59

$6.56 €5.83

-34.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 zł 18.16

$5.62 €5.00

-16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$1.28 €1.14

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 zł 6.04

$2.07 €1.84

-25.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 zł 4.89

$2.35 €2.09

-46.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.21 zł 168

$44.18 €39.30

-2.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$3.99 €3.55

-61.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 zł 2.85

$1.09 €0.97

-33.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 zł 19.60

$16.64 €14.81

-69.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 zł 6.20

$2.28 €2.03

-29.82%

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

$31.0K zł 120.6K

$33.7K €30.0K

-7.80%

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

$23.7K zł 92.2K

$39.3K €35.0K

-39.62%

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

$244 zł 949

$167 €149

45.82%

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

$7.80 zł 30.30

$18.80 €16.72

-58.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.08 zł 66.3

$33.09 €29.43

-48.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.84 zł 34.35

$46.01 €40.93

-80.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.61 zł 52.9

$19.19 €17.07

-29.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 zł 28.43

$9.84 €8.75

-25.61%

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

$310 zł 1,205

$677 €602

-54.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,254 zł 8,759

$16.9K €15.1K

-86.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 zł 210

$101 €90.1

-46.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.93 zł 73.6

$45.76 €40.70

-58.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 zł 195

$100.0 €88.9

-49.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.60 zł 181

$123 €109

-62.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 zł 2,823

$1,614 €1,436

-54.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 zł 2,864

$1,197 €1,065

-38.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 zł 4,966

$2,862 €2,545

-55.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 zł 6,010

$1,990 €1,770

-22.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,876 zł 22.8K

$7,577 €6,740

-22.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,888 zł 22.9K

$4,307 €3,831

36.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,568 zł 6,091

$1,588 €1,412

-1.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.85

68.83%

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

Last update for Zakopane: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zakopane

$737 49.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 62.4% $460

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakopane

$269 18.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 18.5% $50

Eating Out

Zakopane

$173 11.6%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 39.8% $69

Groceries & Markets

Zakopane

$157 10.5%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 71.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Zakopane

$76 5.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 118% $90

Getting Around

Zakopane

$53 3.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 17.9% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Zakopane

$23 1.6%

Lisbon

$66 3% 180% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Zakopane and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1% 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: $28.00 in Zakopane vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $157 vs $269 per month, with Zakopane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Zakopane

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h behind Zakopane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,662

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zakopane Lisbon 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zakopane
Lisbon

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

Zakopane vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zakopane and Lisbon differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,490 vs $2,223 including rent). Zakopane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% 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: $727 in Zakopane versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $310 in Zakopane versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,490 in Zakopane versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zakopane but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zakopane 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, Zakopane 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 Zakopane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.