Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coimbra and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Coimbra: $1,547 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Coimbra
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Coimbra Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Coimbra

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,547

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,547 in Coimbra versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Coimbra $1,547
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,287 in Coimbra versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Coimbra $2,287
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,028 in Coimbra versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Coimbra $3,028
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Coimbra costs roughly 30% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Coimbra 15% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.17 €11.71

$16.50 €14.67

-20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 €41.90

$61.3 €54.5

-23.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 €9.09

$11.27 €10.03

-9.32%

Cappuccino

$1.97 €1.76

$3.06 €2.72

-35.62%

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

$1.98 €1.76

$2.26 €2.01

-12.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.73 €1.54

-8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 €2.04

$3.39 €3.02

-32.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$3.40 €3.02

0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.12 €1.00

-5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.86 €1.65

-19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.53 €1.36

9.80%

Eggs

$3.30 €2.94

$3.96 €3.53

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 €10.32

$12.76 €11.35

-9.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 €6.56

$7.90 €7.02

-6.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 €12.78

$16.97 €15.09

-15.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.27 €2.02

4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.75 €1.55

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.85 €1.64

5.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 €2.69

$2.57 €2.28

17.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.86 €1.65

-11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.02 €1.80

0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.44 €1.28

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.63

$0.82 €0.73

-14.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 €5.63

$6.56 €5.83

-3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €5.03

$5.62 €5.00

0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.28 €1.14

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.35 €2.09

-17.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.84 €29.21

$44.18 €39.30

-25.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.88

$3.99 €3.55

9.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.09 €0.97

24.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 €12.53

$16.64 €14.81

-15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.28 €2.03

-5.26%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

0.01%

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

$38.4K €34.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

-2.32%

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

$135 €120

$167 €149

-19.27%

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

$21.85 €19.44

$18.80 €16.72

16.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.81 €29.18

$33.09 €29.43

-0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.98 €38.23

$46.01 €40.93

-6.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 €10.58

$19.19 €17.07

-38.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 €7.54

$9.84 €8.75

-13.92%

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

$738 €656

$677 €602

8.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,503

$16.9K €15.1K

-36.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 €87.5

$101 €90.1

-2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.70 €32.65

$45.76 €40.70

-19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €81.4

$100.0 €88.9

-8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$123 €109

-6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 €767

$1,614 €1,436

-46.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 €578

$1,197 €1,065

-45.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,341

$2,862 €2,545

-47.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 €908

$1,990 €1,770

-48.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,748 €2,444

$7,577 €6,740

-63.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 €1,088

$4,307 €3,831

-71.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 €1,177

$1,588 €1,412

-16.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.85

-0.52%

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

Last update for Coimbra: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Coimbra

$650 42%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 84.2% $547

Groceries & Markets

Coimbra

$250 16.1%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 7.9% $20

Eating Out

Coimbra

$192 12.4%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 26% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coimbra

$190 12.3%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 15.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Coimbra

$153 9.9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 8.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Coimbra

$60 3.9%

Lisbon

$66 3% 9.6% $5.8

Getting Around

Coimbra

$52 3.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 21.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $862 in Coimbra and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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: $47.00 in Coimbra vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $269 per month, with Coimbra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Coimbra

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

Same time as Coimbra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,838

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Coimbra vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Coimbra is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Lisbon. 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: $862 in Coimbra versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Coimbra runs roughly 35% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $738 in Coimbra versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,547 in Coimbra versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Coimbra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Coimbra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Coimbra 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, Coimbra 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 Coimbra 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.