Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bourges and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bourges: $1,937 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bourges
🇫🇷 France
$1,937
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,937 in Bourges versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Bourges $1,937
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,009 in Bourges versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Bourges $3,009
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Bourges versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Bourges $4,081
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Bourges costs roughly 13% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bourges 43% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.67 €14.83
$16.50 €14.67
1.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.1 €71.2
$61.3 €54.5
30.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.27 €11.81
$11.27 €10.03
17.75%
Cappuccino
$5.09 €4.52
$3.06 €2.72
66.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 €4.09
$2.26 €2.01
103.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 €2.51
$1.73 €1.54
63.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.88 €7.01
$3.39 €3.02
132.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.90 €6.13
$3.40 €3.02
102.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.12 €1.00
1.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.47 €2.20
$1.86 €1.65
32.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 €1.95
$1.53 €1.36
43.79%
Eggs
$4.39 €3.91
$3.96 €3.53
10.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.00 €19.57
$12.76 €11.35
72.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.69 €12.17
$7.90 €7.02
73.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.35 €19.88
$16.97 €15.09
31.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 €2.95
$2.27 €2.02
46.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$1.75 €1.55
26.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 €2.57
$1.85 €1.64
56.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.31 €3.83
$2.57 €2.28
67.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.86 €1.65
6.99%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$2.02 €1.80
22.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 €1.69
$1.44 €1.28
32.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.82 €0.73
7.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.52 €12.92
$6.56 €5.83
121.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.83 €7.85
$5.62 €5.00
57.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 €2.38
$1.28 €1.14
108.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 €3.11
$2.07 €1.84
69.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.35 €2.09
-20.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.81 €43.41
$44.18 €39.30
10.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.23 €8.21
$3.99 €3.55
131.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.09 €0.97
37.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.30 €40.30
$16.64 €14.81
172.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.01
$2.28 €2.03
-1.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K €30.4K
$33.7K €30.0K
1.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K €30.7K
$39.3K €35.0K
-12.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 €216
$167 €149
44.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.81 €6.95
$18.80 €16.72
-58.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.20 €26.86
$33.09 €29.43
-8.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.97 €32.00
$46.01 €40.93
-21.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.57 €12.96
$9.84 €8.75
48.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,795 €1,597
$677 €602
165.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €9,018
$16.9K €15.1K
-40.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.4
$101 €90.1
6.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.7 €46.03
$45.76 €40.70
13.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 €106
$100.0 €88.9
19.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 €142
$123 €109
29.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$627 €558
$1,614 €1,436
-61.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$609 €542
$1,197 €1,065
-49.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 €1,055
$2,862 €2,545
-58.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 €997
$1,990 €1,770
-43.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,900 €3,469
$7,577 €6,740
-48.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,026 €2,691
$4,307 €3,831
-29.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bourges
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,821 €2,510
$1,588 €1,412
77.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
3.85
-11.69%

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

Last update for Bourges: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bourges
$609
Lisbon
$1.2K 96.4% $588
Groceries & Markets
Bourges
$394
Lisbon
$269 31.6% $125
Eating Out
Bourges
$317
Lisbon
$242 23.6% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bourges
$281
Lisbon
$219 21.8% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Bourges
$198
Lisbon
$166 15.8% $31
Getting Around
Bourges
$73
Lisbon
$63 13.7% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Bourges
$65
Lisbon
$66 0.9% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $627 in Bourges and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bourges pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Bourges vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Bourges
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
11:16 11:16 AM
10:16 10:16 AM
1 h behind Bourges
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,702
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bourges Lisbon 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bourges
  • 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
Bourges vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bourges or Lisbon?
Bourges wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bourges the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bourges or in Lisbon?
Average pay runs 78% higher in Bourges, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bourges compared to Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $627 in Bourges versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Bourges and in Lisbon?
Dining out is cheaper in Bourges – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Bourges compared to Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $1,937 per month in Bourges versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Bourges or in Lisbon?
At $1,937 in Bourges versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bourges but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bourges the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bourges or Lisbon?
Both work as nomad bases, but Bourges delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,937 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bourges hard to pass up.
How safe is Bourges compared to Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Bourges 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bourges gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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