Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arcos de Valdevez

For one person, living is cheaper in Arcos de Valdevez: $1,540 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Arcos de Valdevez
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Arcos de Valdevez Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Arcos de Valdevez

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Arcos de Valdevez

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 Arcos de Valdevez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Arcos de Valdevez $1,540

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $2,260 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Arcos de Valdevez $2,260

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $2,981 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Arcos de Valdevez $2,981

Lisbon costs about 43% more than Arcos de Valdevez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Arcos de Valdevez sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Arcos de Valdevez by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$9.04 €8.04

88.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$42.22 €37.56

47.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$8.20 €7.29

34.39%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.82 €1.62

71.43%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.49 €1.33

52.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.14 €1.01

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.26 €2.01

51.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.82 €2.51

32.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.15 €1.03

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.78 €1.58

4.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.41 €1.25

9.22%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.27 €2.02

78.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$8.69 €7.73

48.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$8.11 €7.21

-2.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$14.33 €12.75

23.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.92 €1.70

17.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.47 €1.31

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.76 €1.56

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.29 €2.04

11.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.84 €1.64

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.66 €1.47

18.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.02 €0.91

42.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.58 €0.52

32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$5.74 €5.11

16.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$4.42 €3.93

28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.13 €1.01

21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.72 €1.53

22.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.25 €2.00

3.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$42.01 €37.37

5.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$4.51 €4.01

-12.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.48 €1.31

-29.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$20.86 €18.55

-17.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.14 €1.91

2.34%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$27.5K €24.5K

22.85%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$37.9K €33.7K

1.04%

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

$164 €146

$101 €90.0

62.00%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$16.68 €14.84

10.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$33.36 €29.67

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$41.30 €36.73

11.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$16.41 €14.60

13.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$8.80 €7.83

10.80%

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

$684 €608

$458 €408

49.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$6,421 €5,711

174.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$95.2 €84.7

8.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$35.80 €31.85

29.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$76.5 €68.0

30.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$102 €90.4

22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$961 €855

65.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$753 €670

55.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,519 €1,351

87.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,193 €1,061

67.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$3,051 €2,714

155.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,210 €1,966

99.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$1,919 €1,707

-16.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.7

4.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arcos de Valdevez: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Arcos de Valdevez

$753 48.9% 35.6% $416

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Arcos de Valdevez

$228 14.8% 16.4% $45

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Arcos de Valdevez

$146 9.5% 40.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Arcos de Valdevez

$151 9.8% 29.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Arcos de Valdevez

$139 9% 17.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Arcos de Valdevez

$59 3.8% 9.9% $6.5

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Arcos de Valdevez

$63 4.1% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $961 in Arcos de Valdevez. 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 20% higher in Arcos de Valdevez, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $42.00 in Arcos de Valdevez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $228 – making Arcos de Valdevez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Arcos de Valdevez

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

20,720

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Arcos de Valdevez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 43% more than Arcos de Valdevez, 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 $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $2,310 in Arcos de Valdevez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $458 in Arcos de Valdevez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arcos de Valdevez, where all-in costs run around $1,540, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Arcos de Valdevez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arcos de Valdevez costs $1,540 versus $2,202 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 Arcos de Valdevez. 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.