Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in Athlone versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,839 in Athlone versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Athlone versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Athlone is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 91% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 €19.28

$17.30 €14.92

29.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.6 €79.9

$63.3 €54.6

46.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.57

$11.39 €9.83

17.73%

Cappuccino

$4.52 €3.90

$3.19 €2.75

41.69%

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

$2.93 €2.53

$2.45 €2.11

19.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.76 €1.52

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 €6.36

$3.59 €3.10

105.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 €6.18

$3.39 €2.93

111.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.24 €1.07

21.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.98 €1.71

-33.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.52 €1.31

13.16%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$4.04 €3.49

0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 €9.64

$13.54 €11.68

-17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 €10.38

$8.39 €7.23

43.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 €10.49

$18.25 €15.74

-33.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.29 €1.97

14.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.74 €1.50

-2.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.86 €1.60

34.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.48

$2.63 €2.27

9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$1.92 €1.65

27.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.09 €1.81

-9.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.44 €1.24

4.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.84 €0.73

144.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.64 €16.08

$6.78 €5.85

174.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 €10.08

$5.71 €4.93

104.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.05

$1.38 €1.19

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.28

$2.22 €1.91

71.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.40 €2.07

-12.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 €4.73

$4.17 €3.60

31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.14 €0.98

35.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 €25.37

$17.68 €15.25

66.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.32 €2.00

-8.62%

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

$40.1K €34.6K

$35.3K €30.5K

13.38%

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

$38.4K €33.1K

$41.4K €35.7K

-7.40%

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

$253 €218

$170 €147

48.55%

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

$22.53 €19.43

$19.34 €16.68

16.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 €43.98

$33.64 €29.01

51.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 €52.5

$48.10 €41.48

26.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.31 €32.18

$19.90 €17.16

87.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 €10.22

$9.92 €8.56

19.46%

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

$1,051 €907

$717 €619

46.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,669 €4,889

$17.5K €15.1K

-67.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 €84.8

$105 €90.4

-6.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 €36.71

$46.95 €40.49

-9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 €75.3

$103 €89.2

-15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 €68.2

$124 €107

-36.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,320

$1,677 €1,446

-8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 €1,219

$1,271 €1,096

11.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 €2,268

$2,985 €2,574

-11.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 €1,988

$1,992 €1,718

15.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,526 €3,041

$7,826 €6,750

-54.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,454 €2,979

$4,658 €4,017

-25.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,235 €2,790

$1,583 €1,365

104.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.79

-1.58%

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

Last update for Athlone: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,530 in Athlone and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 104% 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: $93.0 in Athlone vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon 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

Athlone vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 104% higher in Athlone, 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: $1,530 in Athlone versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Athlone. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,622 per month in Athlone versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,316 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athlone 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.