Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,676 in Balbriggan, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Balbriggan
Learn more

Balbriggan Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Balbriggan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,676

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,676 in Balbriggan versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Balbriggan $2,676
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,956 in Balbriggan versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Balbriggan $3,956
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,236 in Balbriggan versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Balbriggan $5,236
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balbriggan 97% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.68 €20.31

$16.65 €14.91

36.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 €88.4

$61.7 €55.3

59.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$11.36 €10.17

19.10%

Cappuccino

$5.01 €4.48

$2.97 €2.66

68.69%

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

$2.97 €2.66

$2.29 €2.05

29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.74 €1.56

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.80

$3.40 €3.05

123.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 €7.12

$3.31 €2.96

140.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.16 €1.04

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.05

$1.91 €1.71

19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.51 €1.35

36.42%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.83

$4.02 €3.60

-21.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 €9.00

$12.94 €11.59

-22.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 €11.55

$7.77 €6.96

65.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €14.54

$17.76 €15.91

-8.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.30 €2.06

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.05

$1.73 €1.55

31.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.44

$1.86 €1.66

46.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 €4.56

$2.59 €2.32

96.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.82 €1.63

4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.97 €1.76

-21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.47 €1.32

-6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.88

$0.72 €0.65

190.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.36 €19.13

$6.58 €5.90

224.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 €11.98

$5.61 €5.02

138.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.51

$1.36 €1.22

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.21

$2.14 €1.91

15.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 €2.21

$2.33 €2.09

6.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €119

$44.68 €40.01

198.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.51

$3.85 €3.45

30.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.07 €0.96

43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.74 €33.80

$16.46 €14.74

129.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.20 €1.97

-5.45%

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

$39.4K €35.3K

$34.2K €30.6K

15.26%

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

$38.1K €34.1K

$38.7K €34.7K

-1.70%

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

$171 €153

$161 €144

5.92%

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

$16.82 €15.06

$18.41 €16.49

-8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.91 €40.22

$32.74 €29.32

37.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.69

$44.55 €39.90

19.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 €11.88

$9.60 €8.60

38.23%

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

$1,259 €1,128

$668 €598

88.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,150 €4,612

$17.6K €15.8K

-70.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €98.0

$102 €91.4

7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.97 €25.05

$44.46 €39.82

-37.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 €55.0

$98.5 €88.2

-37.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$124 €111

6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 €1,391

$1,608 €1,440

-3.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 €1,208

$1,190 €1,066

13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 €2,268

$2,812 €2,519

-9.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 €1,934

$2,013 €1,803

7.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,612 €3,235

$4,576 €4,098

-21.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,292 €2,052

$1,575 €1,411

45.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.85

-1.04%

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

Last update for Balbriggan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balbriggan

$1.3K 50.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 11.8% $159

Eating Out

Balbriggan

$357 13.3%

Lisbon

$243 11% 32% $114

Groceries & Markets

Balbriggan

$353 13.2%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 22.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balbriggan

$232 8.7%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 8.7% $20

Getting Around

Balbriggan

$156 5.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 59.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Balbriggan

$149 5.6%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 11.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Balbriggan

$80 3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 20.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,553 in Balbriggan and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Balbriggan vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Balbriggan

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

Same time as Balbriggan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,322

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balbriggan Lisbon 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Balbriggan
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

Balbriggan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,676 in Balbriggan and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Balbriggan, 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: $1,553 in Balbriggan versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $99 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Balbriggan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.