Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,744 in Cento versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,722 in Cento versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Cento costs roughly 24% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cento 31% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.52 €17.97

$16.19 €14.18

26.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €69.7

$63.3 €55.5

25.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.71

$10.32 €9.04

7.36%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.80

$2.83 €2.48

-27.56%

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

$2.74 €2.40

$2.29 €2.01

19.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.26

$1.58 €1.38

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.93

$3.40 €2.98

65.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.16

$4.03 €3.53

46.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.09 €0.96

43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.29

$1.75 €1.53

49.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$1.76 €1.54

52.27%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.86

$3.17 €2.77

38.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 €18.73

$13.19 €11.56

62.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 €11.58

$7.97 €6.98

66.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 €15.56

$15.53 €13.60

14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.37 €2.07

3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.71 €1.49

29.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.71

$2.01 €1.76

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.43 €2.13

17.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.38

$1.76 €1.54

-10.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.24

$2.03 €1.78

-30.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.92 €1.68

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.44

$0.85 €0.74

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.25

$6.58 €5.76

8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.07

$5.58 €4.89

44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.33 €1.17

25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.61

$2.97 €2.60

-38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.28 €1.99

-25.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.63 €38.21

$45.79 €40.10

-4.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €4.98

$4.23 €3.70

34.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.81 €0.71

81.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.48 €24.94

$18.44 €16.15

54.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.82

$2.08 €1.82

-0.48%

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

$26.1K €22.9K

$34.7K €30.4K

-24.62%

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

$34.6K €30.3K

$39.2K €34.3K

-11.72%

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

$183 €161

$148 €130

23.82%

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

$11.30 €9.89

$20.46 €17.92

-44.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.33 €26.57

$39.56 €34.64

-23.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €47.23

$47.99 €42.03

12.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.39 €20.49

$18.60 €16.29

25.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.71

$9.22 €8.08

20.28%

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

$678 €594

$616 €540

10.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,173 €7,158

$16.4K €14.4K

-50.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €82.1

$103 €90.0

-8.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.54 €39.01

$41.74 €36.55

6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 €85.0

$94.8 €83.0

2.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €152

$122 €107

41.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €648

$1,633 €1,430

-54.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €516

$1,232 €1,079

-52.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 €1,066

$3,098 €2,713

-60.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 €811

$2,031 €1,779

-54.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,537 €2,222

$7,831 €6,858

-67.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 €1,817

$4,389 €3,844

-52.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,824 €1,597

$1,607 €1,408

13.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

3.81

9.45%

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

Last update for Cento: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Cento and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 13% 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 Cento vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $267 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Cento vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cento wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Cento, 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: $740 in Cento versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cento runs roughly 5% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $678 in Cento versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,744 in Cento versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cento but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cento delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,744 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cento hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cento 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 Cento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.