Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Rochelle and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in La Rochelle: $1,838 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in La Rochelle
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La Rochelle Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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La Rochelle

🇫🇷 France

$1,838

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,838 per month in La Rochelle vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

La Rochelle $1,838
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $2,834 per month in La Rochelle vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

La Rochelle $2,834
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $3,829 per month in La Rochelle vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

La Rochelle $3,829
Lisbon $4,346

La Rochelle is about 17% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both La Rochelle and Lisbon sit above the global median – La Rochelle by 36%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.45 €19.97

$17.04 €15.15

31.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.0

$62.3 €55.4

8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.00 €12.46

$11.02 €9.80

27.04%

Cappuccino

$3.77 €3.35

$3.12 €2.78

20.83%

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

$2.83 €2.52

$2.27 €2.02

24.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.74 €1.55

-23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$3.42 €3.04

111.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €4.00

$3.74 €3.33

20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.17 €1.04

21.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.86 €1.66

-3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.54 €1.37

26.62%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.72

$4.06 €3.61

3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.16 €17.05

$12.91 €11.49

48.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.46

$7.90 €7.03

48.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.84 €15.87

$17.64 €15.69

1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.26 €2.01

33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.75 €1.55

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.89 €1.68

44.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.46

$2.56 €2.27

51.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.85 €1.64

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.97 €1.75

-0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.45 €1.29

19.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 €0.31

$0.77 €0.69

-54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 €12.49

$6.71 €5.97

109.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 €7.99

$5.67 €5.04

58.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.37 €1.22

68.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.11 €1.88

14.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.32 €2.07

-28.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.75 €34.47

$44.43 €39.52

-12.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 €8.12

$3.95 €3.51

131.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.05 €0.93

130.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.86 €28.34

$17.15 €15.26

85.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.19 €1.95

-4.57%

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

$36.7K €32.7K

$33.8K €30.0K

8.71%

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

$31.0K €27.5K

$38.3K €34.0K

-19.10%

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

$135 €120

$164 €146

-17.36%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$18.48 €16.43

-26.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.85 €29.22

$32.96 €29.32

-0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.75 €31.80

$45.87 €40.80

-22.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 €7.96

$9.75 €8.67

-8.21%

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

$571 €508

$684 €608

-16.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,936

$17.6K €15.7K

-36.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.4

$104 €92.3

-16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.85 €35.45

$46.20 €41.09

-13.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.9

$99.7 €88.7

11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$125 €111

17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 €951

$1,589 €1,414

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 €617

$1,169 €1,040

-40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 €1,410

$2,851 €2,536

-44.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,066

$1,993 €1,773

-39.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,588 €5,860

$7,793 €6,932

-15.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,548 €4,045

$4,418 €3,930

2.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,379 €2,116

$1,600 €1,423

48.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.85

-1.56%

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

Last update for La Rochelle: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Rochelle

$694 37.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 68.5% $475

Groceries & Markets

La Rochelle

$341 18.5%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 19.9% $68

Eating Out

La Rochelle

$329 17.9%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 24.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Rochelle

$182 9.9%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 18.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

La Rochelle

$173 9.4%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 2.5% $4.4

Getting Around

La Rochelle

$67 3.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 5.6% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

La Rochelle

$54 2.9%

Lisbon

$65 3% 21.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,070 in La Rochelle versus $1,589 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 49% higher in La Rochelle, 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 $67.0 in La Rochelle versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 La Rochelle

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

11:50 11:50 AM

1 h behind La Rochelle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,535

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

La Rochelle Lisbon 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

La Rochelle
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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

La Rochelle vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 20% more than La Rochelle, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,757 per month in La Rochelle and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Rochelle, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $571 per month in La Rochelle and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in La Rochelle, where all-in costs run around $1,838, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In La Rochelle it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Rochelle costs $1,838 versus $2,202 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with La Rochelle. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.