Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Galapagos Islands and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $884 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $884
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,336 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,336
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,789 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,789
Lisbon $4,341

Galapagos Islands is about 60% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Galapagos Islands sits 35% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 $3.54

$16.65 €14.92

-78.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.52 $27.52

$61.7 €55.3

-55.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 $7.27

$11.36 €10.18

-36.00%

Cappuccino

$2.50 $2.50

$2.97 €2.66

-15.82%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$2.29 €2.05

-62.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.74 €1.56

-62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.40 €3.05

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.31 €2.97

6.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.16 €1.04

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.91 €1.71

-15.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.51 €1.36

3.97%

Eggs

$2.17 $2.17

$4.02 €3.60

-46.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$12.94 €11.59

-58.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$7.77 €6.97

-28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$17.76 €15.92

-65.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.30 €2.06

-12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.73 €1.55

-32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.86 €1.66

-41.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.59 €2.32

-58.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.82 €1.63

-20.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.97 €1.76

-47.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.47 €1.32

-65.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.72 €0.65

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 $5.86

$6.58 €5.90

-10.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 $9.92

$5.61 €5.02

76.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.36 €1.22

11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.14 €1.91

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$2.33 €2.09

-84.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.14 $24.14

$44.68 €40.04

-45.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.85 €3.45

-61.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.07 €0.96

-5.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.92 $9.92

$16.46 €14.75

-39.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$2.20 €1.97

-70.00%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.2K €30.6K

-26.04%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$38.7K €34.7K

-26.69%

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

$39.48 $39.48

$161 €144

-75.51%

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

$13.57 $13.57

$18.41 €16.50

-26.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 $31.19

$32.74 €29.34

-4.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.46 $29.46

$44.55 €39.92

-33.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 $14.80

$19.10 €17.11

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 $7.18

$9.60 €8.60

-25.21%

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

$253 $253

$668 €598

-62.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,750 $5,750

$17.6K €15.8K

-67.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$102 €91.4

-45.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 $43.02

$44.46 €39.85

-3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 $98.0

$98.5 €88.3

-0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 $75.9

$124 €111

-38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 $340

$1,608 €1,441

-78.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 $314

$1,190 €1,066

-73.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 $633

$2,812 €2,520

-77.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 $499

$2,013 €1,804

-75.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,218 $1,218

$7,839 €7,025

-84.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$998 $998

$4,576 €4,100

-78.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

159.74%

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

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 280% $877

Groceries & Markets

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 47.8% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 35.2% $43

Eating Out

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7%

Lisbon

$243 11% 135% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 152% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Galapagos Islands

$44 5%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 45.5% $20

Getting Around

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 96.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in the Galapagos Islands 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in the Galapagos Islands versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $272 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

02:13 2:13 AM

6 h ahead of the Galapagos Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Galapagos Islands Lisbon 9,370 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Galapagos Islands
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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

Galapagos Islands vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $884 in the Galapagos Islands, $2,210 in Lisbon – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 60% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,326 per month in the Galapagos Islands and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in the Galapagos Islands and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in the Galapagos Islands, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Galapagos Islands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward the Galapagos Islands – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Galapagos Islands is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 60% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.