Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,548 in Carlow, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,548 per month in Carlow vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Carlow $2,548
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,814 per month in Carlow vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Carlow $3,814
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in Carlow vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Carlow $5,081
Lisbon $4,346

Carlow costs about 16% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Carlow and Lisbon sit above the global median – Carlow by 88%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.01 €18.69

$17.04 €15.15

23.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.7

$62.3 €55.4

45.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 €11.65

$11.02 €9.80

18.87%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.78

$3.12 €2.78

36.22%

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

$2.67 €2.37

$2.27 €2.02

17.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.74 €1.55

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.59

$3.42 €3.04

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$3.74 €3.33

74.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.17 €1.04

40.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.86 €1.66

6.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$1.54 €1.37

24.03%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.87

$4.06 €3.61

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.98

$12.91 €11.49

4.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$7.90 €7.03

62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 €12.84

$17.64 €15.69

-18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$2.26 €2.01

41.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.75 €1.55

71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 €2.96

$1.89 €1.68

76.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.92

$2.56 €2.27

28.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.85 €1.64

28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.97 €1.75

-10.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.45 €1.29

-0.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.77 €0.69

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 €16.76

$6.71 €5.97

180.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 €12.04

$5.67 €5.04

138.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$1.37 €1.22

211.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$2.11 €1.88

62.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.32 €2.07

-46.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 €4.55

$3.95 €3.51

29.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.05 €0.93

46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.43 €28.85

$17.15 €15.26

89.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.19 €1.95

-4.57%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$33.8K €30.0K

14.36%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$38.3K €34.0K

-0.39%

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

$243 €216

$164 €146

48.30%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$18.48 €16.43

20.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 €50.2

$32.96 €29.32

71.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 €70.1

$45.87 €40.80

71.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.1 €49.93

$18.68 €16.61

200.48%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 €12.09

$9.75 €8.67

39.38%

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

$1,052 €936

$684 €608

53.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,449 €4,847

$17.6K €15.7K

-69.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.8

$104 €92.3

-8.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.63 €37.92

$46.20 €41.09

-7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.8

$99.7 €88.7

1.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.3

$125 €111

-18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,282

$1,589 €1,414

-9.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,121

$1,169 €1,040

7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,310

$2,851 €2,536

-8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 €1,914

$1,993 €1,773

7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,664 €5,038

$7,793 €6,932

-27.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,675 €5,937

$4,418 €3,930

51.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,351 €2,091

$1,600 €1,423

46.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.90%

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

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 7.3% $92

Groceries & Markets

Carlow

$361 14.2%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 24.3% $87

Eating Out

Carlow

$328 12.9%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 24.6% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlow

$322 12.6%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 33.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Carlow

$153 6%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 10% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Carlow

$106 4.2%

Lisbon

$65 3% 38.3% $41

Getting Around

Carlow

$18 * 0.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 253% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,441 in Carlow versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Carlow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Carlow versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Carlow

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

Same time as Carlow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,351

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Carlow Lisbon 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Carlow
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

Carlow vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,822 per month in Carlow and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,548 in Carlow and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $1,052 per month in Carlow and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Carlow at $2,548. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carlow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.