Cost of Living Comparison Between Forster and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Forster and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,644 in Forster versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,772 in Forster versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,900 in Forster versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Forster is roughly 15% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forster 93% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 A$25.39

$17.59 €15.32

2.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 A$130

$62.9 €54.8

47.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 A$15.25

$11.58 €10.09

-6.22%

Cappuccino

$4.16 A$5.84

$3.10 €2.70

34.19%

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

$2.77 A$3.89

$2.49 €2.17

11.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.05

$1.74 €1.52

24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 A$9.75

$3.48 €3.03

99.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 A$8.11

$3.44 €3.00

68.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.46

$1.15 €1.00

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 A$3.97

$1.91 €1.66

48.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.34

$1.50 €1.31

58.67%

Eggs

$5.63 A$7.91

$3.98 €3.47

41.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 A$17.45

$13.29 €11.58

-6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 A$13.40

$8.01 €6.98

19.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 A$23.22

$18.04 €15.71

-8.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 A$5.14

$2.35 €2.05

55.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.31

$1.75 €1.52

75.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$4.92

$1.85 €1.62

89.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 A$6.30

$2.55 €2.22

76.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.50

$1.84 €1.61

74.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.61

$2.10 €1.83

22.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.27

$1.49 €1.29

56.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 A$1.84

$0.82 €0.71

59.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.64 A$64.1

$7.10 €6.18

542.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 A$19.89

$5.91 €5.14

139.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 A$5.88

$1.31 €1.15

219.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.81

$2.13 €1.86

94.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.04

$2.36 €2.05

21.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 A$113

$46.62 €40.60

72.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 A$5.05

$4.08 €3.55

-11.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 A$2.34

$1.14 €0.99

46.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.42 A$58.1

$17.09 €14.89

142.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.01

$2.31 €2.01

-38.10%

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

$31.3K A$43.9K

$34.1K €29.7K

-8.28%

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

$30.5K A$42.8K

$41.4K €36.0K

-26.37%

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

$229 A$321

$169 €147

35.66%

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

$27.11 A$38.06

$19.33 €16.84

40.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$81.3

$33.51 €29.19

72.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 A$74.9

$48.84 €42.54

9.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 A$29.01

$19.43 €16.93

6.38%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 A$25.54

$9.57 €8.33

90.07%

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

$2,246 A$3,153

$696 €606

222.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K A$41.4K

$17.4K €15.1K

70.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 A$112

$105 €91.7

-24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.5 A$105

$47.75 €41.59

55.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$157

$101 €87.6

11.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$189

$124 €108

8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 A$2,130

$1,662 €1,447

-8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 A$1,536

$1,246 €1,085

-12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 A$3,175

$2,965 €2,582

-23.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 A$2,579

$2,049 €1,784

-10.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,520 A$7,748

$7,834 €6,823

-29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,860 A$8,226

$4,464 €3,888

31.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.78

54.50%

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

Last update for Forster: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,518 in Forster and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $93.0 in Forster vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $277 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

Forster vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forster and Lisbon differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,644 vs $2,296 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,966 in Forster and $3,444 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,518 in Forster versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,246 in Forster versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Forster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Forster 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Forster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.