Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $249 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Altos

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 Altos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $249 in Altos.

Lisbon $2,202
Altos $249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $373 in Altos.

Lisbon $3,274
Altos $373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $497 in Altos.

Lisbon $4,346
Altos $497

Living in Lisbon is roughly 784% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Altos is 82% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

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

$2.27 €2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.52 ₲2,963

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.89 ₲5,069

108.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.01 ₲5,771

52.48%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.94 ₲11.0K

109.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$5.92 ₲33.7K

118.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$3.57 ₲20.3K

121.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$5.47 ₲31.1K

222.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.41 ₲13.7K

-6.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.27 ₲7,197

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.42 ₲8,087

33.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.76 ₲10.0K

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.15 ₲6,524

60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.35 ₲7,700

45.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.18 ₲6,732

22.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.84 ₲4,786

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$0.89 ₲5,077

653.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$7.91 ₲45.0K

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.73 ₲4,158

87.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$0.81 ₲4,615

160.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.41 ₲2,341

465.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$12.05 ₲68.5K

268.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$1.66 ₲9,442

137.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.73 ₲4,172

43.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.16 ₲6,617

88.79%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$19.0K ₲107.8M

78.14%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$23.8K ₲135.6M

60.50%

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

$164 €146

$35.42 ₲201.4K

362.48%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$7.90 ₲44.9K

133.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$14.17 ₲80.6K

132.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$3.55 ₲20.2K

174.65%

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$24.92 ₲141.7K

316.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$1,521 ₲8.6M

412.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$1,015 ₲5.8M

335.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$500 ₲2.8M

220.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-61.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Altos

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Altos

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Altos

–

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 220% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

4,763

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lisbon Altos 8,700 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Altos

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 784% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 220% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 269% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $249 in Altos versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Altos 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 Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 784% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.