Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Aja Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Aja

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,316 per month in Lisbon vs $450 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Lisbon vs $718 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Lisbon vs $987 in Aja, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 415% more than Aja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 69% above the global median, while Aja is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$4.21 E£214

310.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.5

$13.85 E£704

356.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.81

$4.83 E£246

135.82%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$1.48 E£75.3

115.54%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.37 E£18.81

562.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.14 E£7.16

1157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.29 E£65.6

178.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.83 E£144

19.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.98 E£49.94

26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.61 E£30.95

224.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.73 E£37.21

108.22%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.41 E£71.5

186.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$3.32 E£169

307.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$4.06 E£206

106.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.71

$9.03 E£459

102.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.70 E£86.3

34.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.77 E£39.20

125.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.51 E£25.81

264.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.40 E£20.13

557.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.37 E£18.63

418.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.32 E£16.50

553.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.27 E£13.68

433.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.22 E£11.10

281.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.25 E£114

201.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$7.44 E£378

-23.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.25 E£63.5

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.43 E£124

-8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.21 E£10.62

1042.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.27

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.37 E£18.88

1027.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.23 E£11.89

395.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.22

$1.70 E£86.6

940.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.43 E£21.60

439.53%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$34.4K E£1.7M

2.72%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$28.4K E£1.4M

46.08%

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

$170 €147

$17.64 E£897

865.59%

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

$19.34 €16.65

$6.84 E£347

182.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.96

$13.08 E£665

157.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.40

$19.88 E£1,010

141.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.13

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$2.85 E£145

248.07%

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

$717 €617

$94.5 E£4,803

658.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$1,692 E£86.0K

932.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$17.16 E£872

510.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.41

$49.94 E£2,538

-5.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$102 E£5,160

1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$49.06 E£2,493

152.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$129 E£6,533

1204.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$79.7 E£4,049

1495.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,569

$279 E£14.2K

970.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$144 E£7,334

1280.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,737

$856 E£43.5K

814.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,010

$413 E£21.0K

1027.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

16.21

-76.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Aja: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Lisbon versus $129 in Aja. 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $14.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $130 – making Aja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 415% more than Aja, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,474 per month in Lisbon and $675 in Aja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,316 in Lisbon and $450 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $717 per month in Lisbon and $94.5 in Aja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aja, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Lisbon at $2,316. In Aja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aja costs $450 versus $2,316 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 Aja. 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.