Price level in plain English
100 is the EU average. A score of 73 means prices are roughly 27% lower; 113 means roughly 13% higher.
Calculators
Cost of Living Comparison Calculator for Europe
Cost of living calculator: compare monthly costs in two European countries, starting with Poland vs Portugal and €950 vs €1,300 rent, then add your income.
Choose countries to load an average take-home pay and update the example. You can edit every amount.
Income is for one average-paid worker without children. A price level of 100 is the EU average: 73 means about 27% cheaper, while 113 means about 13% more expensive. Rent is only an editable estimate.
Every amount converts automatically
Warsaw, Poland
Choose where you live. We load the country-average take-home pay; replace it and rent with your real numbers.
Country price level
Poland: 73.3 · 27% below the EU average
Income reference
Average net pay · 1 worker, no children · 2025
Lisbon, Portugal
Choose where you may move. We load the country average; replace it with the income and rent you expect.
Country price level
Portugal: 86.6 · 13% below the EU average
Income reference
Average net pay · 1 worker, no children · 2025
Warsaw · Your monthly spending
Poland
Adjust spending by category: €1,095
Your monthly comparison
Warsaw → Lisbon
Answer
Lisbon costs about €2,508 a month, 22.6% more than Warsaw (€2,045). The income entered there falls €721 short each month.
- Lisbon · Monthly cost
- €2,508
- Warsaw · Monthly cost
- €2,045
- Difference per month
- +€463
- Lisbon · Money left after expenses
- -€721
- Warsaw · Money left after expenses
- -€454
- Lisbon · Income spent on rent
- 72.7%Warsaw: 59.7%
- Warsaw€2,045Income: €1,591
- Lisbon€2,508Income: €1,787
- Rent
- Other costs
Where your money goes
| Expense | Warsaw | Lisbon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | €950 | €1,300 | +36.8% |
| Groceries | €350 | €399 | +14.0% |
| Restaurants & cafés | €180 | €165 | −8.6% |
| Transport | €70 | €76 | +8.1% |
| Bills & utilities | €160 | €179 | +11.8% |
| Mobile & internet | €35 | €57 | +63.3% |
| Leisure & entertainment | €120 | €135 | +12.8% |
| Clothes & shoes | €60 | €54 | −10.0% |
| Other spending | €120 | €144 | +19.7% |
Next steps with this result
Compare the cards and services this result applies to:
Official country averages · prices and net income
How the calculator works
Choose countries to load an average take-home pay and recalculate everyday spending. Every amount stays editable.
Average take-home pay
The annual net figure is divided by 12. It represents one average-paid worker without children, not a household.
Your real numbers
Replace the average income and rent estimate with the job and home you are actually considering.
What can still change
Your area, household, taxes, deposit and time of year can change the real total.
Currency rates refresh automatically. They are planning estimates, not a live card or bank quote.
Decision framework
This cost of living calculator compares a monthly budget in two European countries, using national price levels for each spending category plus your own rent and income.
Choose your current country and the destination. The calculator loads a national reference income for each and scales every spending category you enter by that category’s price-index ratio between the two countries. The stored Eurostat price data refer to 2025; the methodology lists the dataset dates. Rent is your own editable figure for each country, kept apart from the category scaling. Replace the reference income and rent with your own numbers before you read the money left over, and plan deposits and moving costs separately.
Example: Poland to Portugal
As the calculator opens: Poland to Portugal, rent €950 in Poland and €1,300 in Portugal, and monthly spending in Poland of groceries €350, restaurants €180, transport €70, utilities €160, communication €35, recreation €120, clothing €60 and other €120. With the site’s stored national price indices the monthly cost is €2,045 in Poland and €2,508.16 in Portugal, 22.6% more. Income is compared separately: each side starts with the country’s average net pay, which you can replace with your own.
Replace averages with your own numbers
- Enter your expected net income in place of the national reference value.
- Replace the starter rent with a real listing and note its date, location and included bills.
- Adjust each category to how you actually live.
- Budget the deposit and the move separately, then try a higher-rent or lower-income scenario.
FAQ
Why does a category change differently from the overall country index?
Each category uses its own price-index ratio, so groceries and restaurants can move by different amounts. Rent is entered separately, and your housing choice can make up most of the difference.
Does the Portugal result show Lisbon prices?
It applies Portugal’s national price levels to your amounts. Prices in a city such as Lisbon depend on the neighborhood and season, so enter your own Lisbon rent and adjust the categories you know differ.
Does changing the currency update prices?
It converts the amounts at the stored exchange rates shown on the page. The price indices stay the same.
What does a negative remainder mean?
Your monthly costs are larger than your net income. Check the income figure, look for missing or double-counted bills, then adjust the plan.
Results use the amounts and fees you enter, so replace the examples with your own numbers. How we compare