Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alges

For one person, living is cheaper in Alges: $2,004 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Alges, Portugal
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Alges
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,004
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Alges

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Alges actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,004 in Alges, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Alges $2,004

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,863 in Alges, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Alges $2,863

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,722 in Alges, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Alges $3,722

Lisbon costs about 10% more than Alges, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lisbon and Alges sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Alges by 47%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$15.79 €14.18
5.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$55.3 €49.66
11.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$9.74 €8.75
16.63%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.60 €2.34
14.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.34 €2.10
-2.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.22 €2.00
-21.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$3.31 €2.97
2.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.45 €4.90
-39.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.04 €0.93
11.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.94 €1.74
-1.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.15 €1.94
-29.77%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$3.50 €3.14
14.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$11.06 €9.93
17.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$7.08 €6.36
9.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$15.13 €13.59
17.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$2.87 €2.58
-19.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.38 €1.24
25.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.84 €1.65
1.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$2.24 €2.01
15.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.59 €1.43
14.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.11 €1.89
-6.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.55 €1.39
-5.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.85 €0.76
-15.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$5.69 €5.11
15.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$5.00 €4.49
12.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.19 €1.07
14.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.09 €2.77
-30.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$2.25 €2.02
3.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$44.18 €39.69
1.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$4.59 €4.13
-16.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.91 €0.82
17.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$17.55 €15.77
-6.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$2.09 €1.88
5.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$33.6K €30.1K
1.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$38.6K €34.6K
0.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$133 €119
21.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$24.97 €22.43
-26.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$55.0 €49.36
-40.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$43.60 €39.16
2.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$17.23 €15.48
10.85%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$7.42 €6.66
29.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$591 €531
12.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$18.8K €16.9K
-6.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$77.1 €69.3
32.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$33.93 €30.48
31.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$88.4 €79.4
11.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$95.5 €85.8
29.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,211 €1,088
32.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,051 €944
13.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,052 €1,843
37.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$1,576 €1,416
27.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$3,135 €2,817
150.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$2,271 €2,040
101.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Alges
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$1,221 €1,097
28.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.67
4.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alges: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Alges
$1.1K 11.7% $139
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Alges
$255 6.4% $17
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Alges
$232 4.2% $10
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Alges
$212 0.1% $0.1
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Alges
$133 20% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Alges
$58 8.3% $5.3
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Alges
$62 1.4% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,211 in Alges. 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 29% higher in Lisbon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $55 in Alges. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $255 – making Alges the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇵🇹 Alges
🕒 Local time
23:45 11:45 PM
23:45 11:45 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
19,327
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Alges 8 km
From you
  • Lisbon
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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
Lisbon vs Alges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Alges compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $2,004 in Alges – Alges comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Alges?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,006 in Alges. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Alges?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alges, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,211 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $55 in Alges. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Alges?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,004 in Alges, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Alges?
It depends on your priorities. Alges has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,004 in Alges to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Alges safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Alges?
If budget matters most, go with Alges. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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