Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarda and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarda: $1,271 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guarda, Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Guarda
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,271
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Guarda vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Guarda $1,271
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,978 per month in Guarda vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Guarda $1,978
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $2,684 per month in Guarda vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Guarda $2,684
  • Lisbon $4,341

Guarda is about 43% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Guarda sits 7% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.05 €11.69
$16.65 €14.91
-21.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.16 €39.55
$61.7 €55.3
-28.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.33 €10.15
$11.36 €10.17
-0.26%
Cappuccino
$1.65 €1.48
$2.97 €2.66
-44.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 €1.72
$2.29 €2.05
-16.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.74 €1.56
-2.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.40 €3.05
-32.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.87 €3.46
$3.31 €2.96
16.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 €0.92
$1.16 €1.04
-12.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.91 €1.71
-15.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.51 €1.35
1.32%
Eggs
$3.66 €3.28
$4.02 €3.60
-8.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.06 €9.91
$12.94 €11.59
-14.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.73 €10.51
$7.77 €6.96
50.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.89 €21.40
$17.76 €15.91
34.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.36 €2.11
$2.30 €2.06
2.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.73 €1.55
-2.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 €1.91
$1.86 €1.66
14.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 €2.11
$2.59 €2.32
-8.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.82 €1.63
26.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.97 €1.76
16.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 €0.88
$1.47 €1.32
-33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.99
$0.72 €0.65
54.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.91 €6.19
$6.58 €5.90
5.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.09 €4.56
$5.61 €5.02
-9.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 €1.48
$1.36 €1.22
22.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.14 €1.91
14.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 €1.52
$2.33 €2.09
-27.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.01
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.01 €4.49
$3.85 €3.45
30.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.07 €0.96
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.78 €15.03
$16.46 €14.74
1.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.20 €1.97
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K €29.3K
$34.2K €30.6K
-4.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €34.1K
$38.7K €34.7K
-1.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 €169
$161 €144
16.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.66 €14.92
$18.41 €16.49
-9.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.2 €45.88
$32.74 €29.32
56.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.8 €50.9
$44.55 €39.90
27.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.10
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.90 €6.18
$9.60 €8.60
-28.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$428 €384
$668 €598
-35.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.5K €12.1K
$17.6K €15.8K
-23.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.06 €30.50
$102 €91.4
-66.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.99 €19.69
$44.46 €39.82
-50.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 €118
$98.5 €88.2
33.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 €148
$124 €111
33.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$395 €354
$1,608 €1,440
-75.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$276 €248
$1,190 €1,066
-76.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 €648
$2,812 €2,519
-74.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 €495
$2,013 €1,803
-72.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,366 €1,224
$7,839 €7,021
-82.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,098
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guarda
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,575 €1,411
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.27
3.85
-15.06%

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

Last update for Guarda: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Guarda
$305
Lisbon
$272 10.7% $33
Accommodation & Living
Guarda
$276
Lisbon
$1.2K 331% $914
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guarda
$256
Lisbon
$212 17.2% $44
Eating Out
Guarda
$192
Lisbon
$243 26.4% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Guarda
$159
Lisbon
$166 4.6% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Guarda
$71
Lisbon
$64 9.7% $6.9
Getting Around
Guarda
$12 *
Lisbon
$63 435% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $395 in Guarda 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 $44 in Guarda versus $62 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Guarda vs $272 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Guarda
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
17:47 5:47 PM
17:47 5:47 PM
Same time as Guarda
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,126
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Guarda Lisbon 260 km
From you
  • Guarda
  • 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
Guarda vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Guarda or Lisbon?
Lisbon costs about 74% more than Guarda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Guarda and in Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Guarda and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Guarda or Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $395 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How much does it cost to live in Guarda compared to Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Guarda and $2,210 in Lisbon. That makes Guarda about 43% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Guarda and in Lisbon?
Kindergarten costs $428 per month in Guarda and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Guarda or in Lisbon?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,271 in Guarda and $2,210 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Guarda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Guarda compared to Lisbon?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Guarda vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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