Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Argostoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Argostoli

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $1,419 in Argostoli, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $2,192 in Argostoli, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $2,965 in Argostoli, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 60% more than Argostoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Argostoli sit above the global median – Lisbon by 64%, Argostoli by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.49 €9.90

52.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$63.9 €55.1

0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.11 €7.86

27.88%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.13 €3.56

-21.07%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.34 €2.02

6.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.59 €0.51

183.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.52 €3.89

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.53 €3.90

-20.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.65 €1.42

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.53 €1.32

27.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.44 €2.10

-36.07%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$5.07 €4.37

-20.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.65 €10.05

13.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$9.99 €8.61

-15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.70 €12.67

24.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.38 €2.05

-2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.29 €1.97

-24.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.77 €1.53

9.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.07 €1.79

27.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.20 €1.03

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.30 €1.12

62.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.94 €0.81

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.89 €0.77

-10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.46 €4.71

28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.94 €5.98

-14.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.70 €1.47

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.41 €2.94

-36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.35 €1.17

76.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$49.85 €42.97

-7.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$4.72 €4.07

-11.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.17 €1.01

-5.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$14.69 €12.66

17.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.28 €1.97

-1.32%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$28.5K €24.6K

20.80%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$24.0K €20.7K

73.70%

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

$171 €147

$167 €144

2.50%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$24.86 €21.43

-23.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$28.87 €24.88

18.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$51.4 €44.27

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$25.68 €22.14

-24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.06 €7.81

11.48%

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

$699 €603

$497 €429

40.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,775 €4,116

272.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$71.0 €61.2

47.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$37.19 €32.05

28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.1 €67.4

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$111 €95.4

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$516 €445

222.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$412 €355

198.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$785 €677

271.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$663 €571

205.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,867 €2,471

183.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,395 €2,064

93.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.36

-13.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Argostoli: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $516 in Argostoli. 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 $64.0 in Lisbon versus $64.0 in Argostoli. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $284 – making Lisbon 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 Argostoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 60%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $2,129 in Argostoli. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon and $64.0 in Argostoli. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Argostoli, where all-in costs run around $1,419, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Argostoli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Argostoli – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Argostoli. 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.