Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,549 in Canary Islands versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,199 in Canary Islands versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,849 in Canary Islands versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Canary Islands costs roughly 30% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canary Islands 16% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €14.72

$16.17 €13.81

6.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €50.2

$64.6 €55.1

-9.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 €8.35

$10.38 €8.86

-5.88%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.51

$2.77 €2.37

-36.10%

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

$1.81 €1.55

$2.25 €1.92

-19.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.57 €1.34

-33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.41

$3.49 €2.98

-19.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.73

$4.00 €3.42

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.05

$1.08 €0.93

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.74 €1.49

1.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.74 €1.48

-16.09%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.62

$3.18 €2.71

-3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 €14.75

$13.43 €11.47

28.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 €7.27

$7.99 €6.83

6.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 €12.55

$16.09 €13.74

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.11

$2.28 €1.95

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.72 €1.47

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.94 €1.66

-18.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.54 €2.17

-0.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.83 €1.56

-12.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.50

$2.04 €1.74

-13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.98 €1.69

-26.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.56

$0.85 €0.73

-22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 €3.98

$6.85 €5.85

-31.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 €5.88

$5.78 €4.93

19.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.37 €1.17

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.48

$2.90 €2.48

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.46

$2.28 €1.95

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.35 €29.34

$46.84 €40.00

-26.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 €3.31

$4.08 €3.48

-4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.08

$0.82 €0.70

54.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.19 €14.68

$18.27 €15.60

-5.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.44

$2.01 €1.71

-15.92%

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

$25.4K €21.7K

$35.3K €30.1K

-27.87%

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

$30.4K €26.0K

$38.5K €32.9K

-20.90%

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

$91.7 €78.3

$145 €124

-36.92%

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

$21.81 €18.63

$20.96 €17.90

4.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.11 €26.56

$40.05 €34.21

-22.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.34 €42.13

$48.79 €41.66

1.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.82 €21.20

$18.69 €15.97

32.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.73 €8.31

$9.06 €7.74

7.40%

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

$344 €294

$607 €518

-43.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,533 €7,287

$16.3K €13.9K

-47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 €58.3

$105 €89.4

-34.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.99 €29.03

$40.95 €34.97

-17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 €67.8

$93.6 €79.9

-15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 €60.1

$119 €101

-40.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 €974

$1,604 €1,370

-28.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 €606

$1,236 €1,055

-42.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 €1,907

$3,046 €2,601

-26.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 €678

$2,057 €1,756

-61.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,476 €2,969

$7,709 €6,583

-54.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 €1,987

$4,266 €3,644

-45.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,456 €1,243

$1,584 €1,353

-8.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

3.81

-12.60%

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

Last update for Canary Islands: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Canary Islands and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 9% 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: $59.0 in Canary Islands vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $271, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Canary Islands vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canary Islands wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Canary Islands the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lisbon earns 9% less. 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: $1,141 in Canary Islands versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Canary Islands – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,549 in Canary Islands versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Canary Islands but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Canary Islands the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Canary Islands delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,549 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Canary Islands hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Canary Islands 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 Canary Islands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.