Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Adelaide Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Adelaide

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,269 in Adelaide.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,382 in Adelaide.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,496 in Adelaide.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Adelaide, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Adelaide 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$16.99 A$23.82

-6.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$83.3 A$117

-22.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.54 A$13.38

10.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.39 A$4.76

-15.34%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.65 A$3.72

-15.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.30 A$3.23

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$6.60 A$9.26

-47.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$7.96 A$11.15

-51.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.48 A$2.07

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.66 A$3.74

-34.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.01 A$2.82

-12.44%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.51 A$6.32

-28.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.10 A$14.16

33.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.32 A$11.67

-4.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$14.17 A$19.87

12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.74 A$3.84

-15.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.67 A$3.74

-36.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.90 A$4.06

-30.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.98 A$5.59

-38.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.66 A$3.73

-30.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.12 A$2.97

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.23 A$3.13

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.63 A$2.29

-51.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$28.47 A$39.91

-76.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$14.25 A$19.97

-59.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$4.49 A$6.29

-69.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$5.19 A$7.28

-42.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.94 A$4.13

-19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$74.7 A$105

-39.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.19 A$5.87

2.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.84 A$2.59

-55.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$42.47 A$59.6

-56.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.19 A$1.66

73.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$28.5K A$39.9K

20.36%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.8K A$36.2K

52.01%

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

$148 €127

$211 A$296

-30.06%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$25.92 A$36.33

-20.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$51.4 A$72.1

-22.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$37.27 A$52.3

28.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$7.81 A$10.95

142.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$14.01 A$19.64

-34.48%

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

$614 €529

$1,029 A$1,443

-40.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,258 A$10.2K

121.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$68.7 A$96.3

52.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$53.8 A$75.4

-21.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$107 A$150

-11.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$102 A$143

16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,283 A$1,799

26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,099 A$1,541

14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,979 A$2,774

53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,694 A$2,375

19.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$9,479 A$13.3K

-17.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$6,290 A$8,818

-32.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$3,870 A$5,425

-58.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.41

-40.56%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Adelaide: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,283 in Adelaide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Adelaide pays 141% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $83.0 in Adelaide for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $345 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

Lisbon vs Adelaide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Adelaide differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,269 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Adelaide earns 141% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,283 in Adelaide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $1,029 in Adelaide. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Adelaide. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,269 in Adelaide, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Adelaide. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Lisbon and Adelaide 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 3% less than in Adelaide. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.