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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Lisbon vs $456 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,322 per month in Lisbon vs $738 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,354 per month in Lisbon vs $1,019 in Aja, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 403% more than Aja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 71% above the global median, while Aja is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.49 E£178

363.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$15.55 E£794

307.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.52 E£231

128.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.50 E£76.7

88.67%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.31 E£16.07

638.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.10 E£4.88

1480.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.15 E£59.0

195.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.88 E£147

39.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.83 E£42.26

31.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.61 E£31.25

186.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.70 E£35.97

151.43%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.46 E£74.6

117.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$3.43 E£175

284.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.24 E£217

87.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$8.57 E£437

81.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.47 E£75.0

61.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.55 E£28.04

210.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.42 E£21.69

378.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.40 E£20.35

507.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.37 E£19.10

375.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.41 E£20.68

395.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.22 E£11.16

772.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.19 E£9.81

347.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.94 E£99.3

239.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.30 E£322

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.31 E£66.8

1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.81 E£92.3

64.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.16 E£8.22

1325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.41 E£21.11

931.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.29 E£14.78

179.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$1.93 E£98.6

855.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.30 E£15.56

593.33%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$35.8K E£1.8M

-3.17%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$33.0K E£1.7M

18.68%

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

$148 €130

$11.99 E£612

1134.78%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$6.54 E£334

212.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$10.65 E£544

271.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$22.66 E£1,157

111.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$2.89 E£148

219.03%

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

$616 €540

$89.8 E£4,582

586.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,881 E£96.0K

773.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$27.07 E£1,382

279.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$48.11 E£2,456

-13.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$111 E£5,650

-14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$51.3 E£2,620

137.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$187 E£9,550

772.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$98.6 E£5,035

1149.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$308 E£15.7K

907.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$180 E£9,187

1028.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$839 E£42.9K

832.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$431 E£22.0K

918.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

16.67

-77.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Aja: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,633 in Lisbon versus $187 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 $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $122 – 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 403% 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 $3,437 per month in Lisbon and $684 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 $2,291 in Lisbon and $456 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $616 per month in Lisbon and $89.8 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 $456, than in Lisbon at $2,291. 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 $456 versus $2,291 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.