Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Real and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Real and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,132 in Ciudad Real versus $2,217 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,696 in Ciudad Real versus $3,245 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,260 in Ciudad Real versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

Living in Ciudad Real costs roughly 49% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ciudad Real is 15% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.23 €8.81

$15.78 €13.59

-35.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.38 €30.47

$62.5 €53.8

-43.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 €7.99

$10.54 €9.07

-11.95%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.97

$2.77 €2.38

-17.33%

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

$1.96 €1.69

$2.28 €1.97

-14.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.55 €1.33

11.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 €2.97

$3.55 €3.05

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.67

$3.98 €3.43

7.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.08 €0.93

12.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 €0.57

$1.77 €1.52

-62.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.77 €1.52

-19.77%

Eggs

$2.80 €2.41

$3.12 €2.69

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 €7.76

$13.34 €11.49

-32.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 €5.11

$7.99 €6.88

-25.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 €8.84

$15.92 €13.70

-35.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.28 €1.97

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.64 €1.42

18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.98 €1.70

-17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.45 €2.11

-13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.77 €1.52

-27.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.97 €1.69

-42.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.97 €1.70

-41.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$0.80 €0.69

-26.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 €5.36

$6.54 €5.63

-4.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 €4.45

$5.75 €4.95

-10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.32 €1.13

-7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.99 €2.57

-20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.34 €2.01

-44.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.66 €10.04

$45.85 €39.48

-74.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.44

$4.26 €3.66

-6.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.84 €0.73

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.60 €18.60

$18.86 €16.24

14.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.07 €1.78

-16.91%

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

$38.4K €33.1K

$35.2K €30.3K

8.96%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$38.6K €33.2K

-20.60%

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

$138 €119

$151 €130

-8.68%

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

$17.67 €15.21

$20.91 €18.00

-15.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 €25.59

$39.54 €34.05

-24.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 €34.28

$48.39 €41.67

-17.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 €12.70

$18.61 €16.02

-20.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 €7.63

$9.04 €7.79

-1.99%

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

$449 €387

$610 €525

-26.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,940 €2,532

$16.3K €14.0K

-81.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 €65.4

$101 €87.2

-24.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.14 €33.71

$40.58 €34.94

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 €64.6

$93.0 €80.1

-19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €89.2

$119 €102

-12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 €392

$1,603 €1,380

-71.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 €301

$1,239 €1,067

-71.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 €606

$3,019 €2,599

-76.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 €494

$2,061 €1,775

-72.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$929 €800

$4,533 €3,903

-79.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 €1,280

$1,628 €1,402

-8.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.81

-9.19%

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

Last update for Ciudad Real: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Ciudad Real and $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 10% 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: $35.00 in Ciudad Real vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $268 per month, with Ciudad Real 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

Ciudad Real vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Real and Lisbon differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($1,132 vs $2,217 including rent). Ciudad Real is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 10% 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: $455 in Ciudad Real versus $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Real – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,132 in Ciudad Real versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Real but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Real the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ciudad Real 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 Ciudad Real gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.