Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cortona and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Cortona: $1,433 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cortona, Italy
Lisbon, Portugal
Cortona
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,433
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,433 per month in Cortona vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Cortona $1,433
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $2,197 per month in Cortona vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Cortona $2,197
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $2,961 per month in Cortona vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Cortona $2,961
  • Lisbon $4,341

Cortona is about 35% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cortona and Lisbon sit above the global median – Cortona by 5%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79 €15.04
$16.65 €14.92
0.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.6 €60.6
$61.7 €55.3
9.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$11.36 €10.18
-
Cappuccino
$2.12 €1.90
$2.97 €2.66
-28.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 €2.55
$2.29 €2.05
24.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.74 €1.56
-14.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.47 €4.90
$3.40 €3.05
60.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.78 €6.08
$3.31 €2.97
104.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.16 €1.04
49.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.91 €1.71
15.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.97 €2.66
$1.51 €1.36
96.69%
Eggs
$4.74 €4.25
$4.02 €3.60
17.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.81 €13.27
$12.94 €11.59
14.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.15 €10.89
$7.77 €6.97
56.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.44 €17.42
$17.76 €15.92
9.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.55 €2.28
$2.30 €2.06
10.87%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.73 €1.55
32.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 €2.12
$1.86 €1.66
26.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.39 €2.15
$2.59 €2.32
-7.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 €1.27
$1.82 €1.63
-22.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.97 €1.76
-18.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.47 €1.32
-6.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.50
$0.72 €0.65
-23.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.94 €6.22
$6.58 €5.90
5.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.69 €5.10
$5.61 €5.02
1.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 €1.43
$1.36 €1.22
16.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.27
$2.14 €1.91
18.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.33 €2.09
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.04
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.61 €5.93
$3.85 €3.45
71.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 €1.46
$1.07 €0.96
52.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.47 €29.99
$16.46 €14.75
103.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 €1.94
$2.20 €1.97
-1.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K €31.7K
$34.2K €30.6K
3.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K €32.5K
$38.7K €34.7K
-6.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €181
$161 €144
25.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.25 €10.08
$18.41 €16.50
-38.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.35 €28.99
$32.74 €29.34
-1.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.04 €25.13
$44.55 €39.92
-37.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.04 €9.89
$19.10 €17.11
-42.20%
Cinema Ticket
$11.25 €10.08
$9.60 €8.60
17.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$478 €428
$668 €598
-28.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.7K €15.0K
$17.6K €15.8K
-5.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.0 €64.5
$102 €91.4
-29.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.82 €32.99
$44.46 €39.85
-17.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.7 €76.8
$98.5 €88.3
-13.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 €113
$124 €111
2.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$864 €774
$1,608 €1,441
-46.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$400 €358
$1,190 €1,066
-66.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,493 €1,338
$2,812 €2,520
-46.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$621 €556
$2,013 €1,804
-69.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,315 €2,074
$7,839 €7,025
-70.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,804 €2,513
$4,576 €4,100
-38.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cortona
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,067 €2,749
$1,575 €1,411
94.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.52
3.85
-8.57%

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

Last update for Cortona: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cortona
$400
Lisbon
$1.2K 198% $790
Groceries & Markets
Cortona
$326
Lisbon
$272 16.4% $53
Eating Out
Cortona
$252
Lisbon
$243 3.7% $9.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cortona
$246
Lisbon
$212 13.7% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Cortona
$144
Lisbon
$166 14.9% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Cortona
$51
Lisbon
$64 26.1% $13
Getting Around
Cortona
$15 *
Lisbon
$63 328% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $864 in Cortona versus $1,608 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 95% higher in Cortona, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Cortona versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $272 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Cortona
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:51 6:51 AM
05:51 5:51 AM
1 h behind Cortona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
22,450
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cortona Lisbon 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cortona
  • 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
Cortona vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cortona and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,433 in Cortona, $2,210 in Lisbon – Cortona comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Cortona compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,150 per month in Cortona and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cortona and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cortona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $864 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cortona or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,433 in Cortona and $2,210 in Lisbon. That makes Cortona about 35% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cortona and Lisbon?
Kindergarten costs $478 per month in Cortona and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cortona, where all-in costs run around $1,433, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Cortona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Cortona or Lisbon?
Families tend to lean toward Cortona – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Cortona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?