Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,704 in Arona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,684 in Arona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,664 in Arona.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 34% more expensive than in Arona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Arona 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$19.38 €16.98

-16.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$94.2 €82.5

-32.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.34 €8.18

10.49%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.94 €1.70

45.88%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$3.08 €2.70

-25.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.14 €0.99

38.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.28 €3.74

-20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$5.55 €4.86

-27.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.90 €1.66

-42.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.44 €2.14

-28.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.44 €3.01

-48.84%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.16 €2.77

0.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$15.93 €13.95

-17.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$13.38 €11.72

-40.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.83 €12.11

12.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.74 €2.40

-13.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.68 €1.47

1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.26 €2.85

-38.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.87 €2.51

-15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.78 €1.56

-1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.70 €1.49

19.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.36 €1.19

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.57 €0.50

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.90 €6.04

-4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.66 €4.08

19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.14 €1.88

-37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.67 €2.33

11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.77 €1.55

28.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$44.20 €38.71

3.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.64 €4.94

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.06 €1.80

-60.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$59.0 €51.7

-68.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.01 €1.76

3.48%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$27.3K €23.9K

26.83%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$32.3K €28.3K

21.07%

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

$148 €130

$210 €184

-29.42%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$15.35 €13.45

33.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$30.54 €26.74

29.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$54.2 €47.43

-11.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$23.42 €20.51

-20.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$11.35 €9.94

-18.77%

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

$616 €540

$549 €481

12.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,418 €8,248

74.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$89.4 €78.3

14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$37.32 €32.69

11.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$109 €95.2

-12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$139 €122

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$755 €661

116.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$585 €512

110.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,207 €1,057

156.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$923 €808

120.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,044 €2,666

157.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,316 €2,028

89.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.68

-18.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Arona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $755 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $94.0 in Arona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $323 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arona is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $2,556 in Arona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $755 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $549 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,704 in Arona versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arona but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Arona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arona 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 Arona 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 Arona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.