Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ambato

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Ambato $1,364

Lisbon costs about 267% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Ambato is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$3.46 $3.46

376.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$29.93 $29.93

104.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$5.32 $5.32

111.84%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.76 $2.76

10.87%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$0.82 $0.82

175.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.75 $0.75

130.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$1.96 $1.96

72.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.22 $3.22

5.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.98 $0.98

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.98 $0.98

89.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.57 $1.57

-2.55%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$1.73 $1.73

128.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$5.42 $5.42

135.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$3.05 $3.05

159.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$3.93 $3.93

331.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.27 $1.27

78.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$0.88 $0.88

98.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.03 $1.03

79.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$1.03 $1.03

149.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.77 $0.77

141.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.99 $0.99

104.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.73 $0.73

97.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.03 $1.03

-20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$5.15 $5.15

27.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$8.78 $8.78

-35.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.45 $1.45

-11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.81 $2.81

-26.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$0.29 $0.29

710.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$14.21 $14.21

210.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$1.39 $1.39

187.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$9.43 $9.43

76.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.86 $0.86

165.12%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$23.3K $23.3K

44.33%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

39.60%

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

$167 €149

$39.20 $39.20

327.27%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$13.58 $13.58

38.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$26.39 $26.39

25.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$29.76 $29.76

54.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$4.39 $4.39

124.15%

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

$677 €602

$224 $224

202.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$2,408 $2,408

602.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$48.25 $48.25

109.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$35.22 $35.22

29.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$71.2 $71.2

40.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$55.5 $55.5

121.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$178 $178

805.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$124 $124

863.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$380 $380

652.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$273 $273

629.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$1,130 $1,130

570.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$884 $884

387.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$679 $679

133.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-57.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 89.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 45.4% $122

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 59% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 63.9% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 43.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 41.3% $27

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 64.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $178 in Ambato. 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 134% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

00:29 12:29 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

165,185

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Ambato 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ambato

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 Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 267% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,223 in Lisbon and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 267%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $2,223 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 Ambato. 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.