Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lagos: $2,066 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lagos
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,066
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,066 in Lagos versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Lagos $2,066
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,129 in Lagos versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Lagos $3,129
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,193 in Lagos versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Lagos $4,193
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Lagos costs roughly 6% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lagos 52% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.56 €11.17
$17.04 €15.15
-26.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.0 €50.7
$62.3 €55.4
-8.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.34 €7.42
$11.02 €9.80
-24.32%
Cappuccino
$2.76 €2.46
$3.12 €2.78
-11.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €2.07
$2.27 €2.02
2.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.74 €1.55
2.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.94 €3.51
$3.42 €3.04
15.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 €4.06
$3.74 €3.33
22.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.17 €1.04
-11.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 €2.17
$1.86 €1.66
31.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.54 €1.37
37.01%
Eggs
$3.39 €3.02
$4.06 €3.61
-16.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.47 €15.54
$12.91 €11.49
35.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.02 €7.13
$7.90 €7.03
1.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.21 €13.53
$17.64 €15.69
-13.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$2.26 €2.01
24.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.75 €1.55
-23.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.89 €1.68
-2.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$2.56 €2.27
4.30%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.85 €1.64
11.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 €1.82
$1.97 €1.75
4.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.45 €1.29
-9.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.38 €0.33
$0.77 €0.69
-50.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.93 €5.28
$6.71 €5.97
-11.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.41 €3.92
$5.67 €5.04
-22.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$1.37 €1.22
-36.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 €2.52
$2.11 €1.88
34.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.32 €2.07
-26.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.03 €29.38
$44.43 €39.52
-25.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 €5.08
$3.95 €3.51
44.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.92
$1.05 €0.93
-0.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$17.15 €15.26
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.74
$2.19 €1.95
-10.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.4K
$33.8K €30.0K
1.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.8K €31.8K
$38.3K €34.0K
-6.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 €133
$164 €146
-8.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.36 €19.00
$18.48 €16.43
15.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.52 €38.71
$32.96 €29.32
32.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.2 €48.16
$45.87 €40.80
18.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.49 €25.34
$18.68 €16.61
52.52%
Cinema Ticket
$6.43 €5.72
$9.75 €8.67
-34.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$539 €480
$684 €608
-21.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
$17.6K €15.7K
-34.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.3 €73.2
$104 €92.3
-20.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.69 €44.20
$46.20 €41.09
7.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.1 €63.2
$99.7 €88.7
-28.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 €97.8
$125 €111
-11.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,153 €1,026
$1,589 €1,414
-27.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,112 €989
$1,169 €1,040
-4.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,425 €2,157
$2,851 €2,536
-14.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,023 €1,800
$1,993 €1,773
1.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,942 €3,507
$7,793 €6,932
-49.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,884 €4,345
$4,418 €3,930
10.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lagos
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,231 €1,095
$1,600 €1,423
-23.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.85
-

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

Last update for Lagos: 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
Lagos
$1.1K
Lisbon
$1.2K 5.1% $57
Groceries & Markets
Lagos
$277
Lisbon
$273 1.3% $3.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lagos
$215
Lisbon
$215 0.2% $0.5
Eating Out
Lagos
$204
Lisbon
$247 21.4% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Lagos
$141
Lisbon
$168 19.6% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Lagos
$67
Lisbon
$65 2.4% $1.6
Getting Around
Lagos
$51
Lisbon
$63 23.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,153 in Lagos and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in Lagos vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $273, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lagos
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:37 12:37 PM
12:37 12:37 PM
Same time as Lagos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,500
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lagos Lisbon 180 km
From you
  • Lagos
  • 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
Lagos vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lagos and in Lisbon?
Lagos and Lisbon differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,066 vs $2,202 including rent). Lagos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lagos and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,153 in Lagos versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Lagos – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,066 in Lagos versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lagos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lagos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lagos and Lisbon?
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.
Is Lagos or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lagos 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.
Where should expats move: Lagos or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lagos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lagos vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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