Cost of Living Comparison Between Cascais and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cascais and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,235 in Cascais versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,640 in Cascais versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,045 in Cascais versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Cascais costs roughly 1% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cascais 62% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.08 €13.86

$17.55 €15.12

-8.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 €40.05

$64.5 €55.6

-27.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 €8.59

$11.65 €10.04

-14.42%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.44

$3.26 €2.81

-13.19%

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

$2.01 €1.74

$2.49 €2.15

-19.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.67 €1.44

36.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.47 €2.99

-1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$3.58 €3.08

59.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.18 €1.02

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.95 €1.68

23.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.56 €1.35

8.33%

Eggs

$3.46 €2.98

$4.01 €3.46

-13.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €9.66

$13.27 €11.44

-15.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 €6.11

$8.42 €7.26

-15.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.83

$18.23 €15.72

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$2.32 €2.00

26.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.73 €1.49

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$1.93 €1.67

37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.64 €2.27

-11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.90 €1.64

-13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.11 €1.82

16.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.44 €1.24

22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.80 €0.69

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 €5.19

$7.01 €6.04

-14.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$5.92 €5.11

35.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.36 €1.18

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €3.94

$2.15 €1.85

112.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.20

$2.38 €2.05

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.41 €40.86

$46.22 €39.85

2.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.97

$4.19 €3.61

-45.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.25 €1.94

-1.78%

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

$35.2K €30.4K

$34.5K €29.7K

2.16%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$41.6K €35.9K

-4.60%

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

$139 €120

$171 €147

-18.72%

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

$25.99 €22.41

$19.01 €16.38

36.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 €49.19

$34.28 €29.55

66.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €55.3

$49.65 €42.80

29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 €10.12

$19.51 €16.81

-39.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 €6.69

$10.10 €8.71

-23.17%

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

$767 €661

$699 €603

9.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K €16.6K

$17.8K €15.3K

8.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 €69.1

$105 €90.2

-23.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 €33.37

$47.97 €41.35

-19.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.9

$102 €87.8

10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$128 €111

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 €1,597

$1,661 €1,432

11.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 €1,007

$1,228 €1,059

-4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 €3,416

$2,915 €2,513

35.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,640 €2,276

$2,023 €1,744

30.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,120 €6,137

$8,129 €7,007

-12.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,985 €4,297

$4,635 €3,996

7.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,338 €2,015

$1,619 €1,396

44.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

3.78

-2.91%

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

Last update for Cascais: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Cascais and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Cascais vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $281, 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

Cascais vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cascais is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Cascais, 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: $1,853 in Cascais versus $1,661 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 Cascais – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cascais is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Cascais is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cascais 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 Cascais gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.