Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arouca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arouca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $938 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,614 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,289 in Arouca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 144% more expensive than in Arouca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Arouca is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$10.19 TTD 68.7

58.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$89.3 TTD 602

-29.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.19 TTD 48.46

43.53%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.64 TTD 24.54

-22.25%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.09 TTD 7.36

110.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.82 TTD 5.50

92.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.82 TTD 12.30

86.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.17 TTD 21.34

27.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.68 TTD 18.06

-59.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.74 TTD 18.46

-36.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.63 TTD 17.70

-33.08%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.95 TTD 33.36

-35.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.10 TTD 54.6

62.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$10.57 TTD 71.2

-24.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$14.19 TTD 95.6

9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.72 TTD 38.53

-58.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.57 TTD 17.33

-33.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$4.32 TTD 29.14

-53.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.87 TTD 32.79

-50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.44 TTD 9.73

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.66 TTD 11.22

22.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.90 TTD 12.81

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.40 TTD 9.44

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.80 TTD 39.12

13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$19.17 TTD 129

-70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.22 TTD 14.95

-40.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.85 TTD 19.23

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.04 TTD 7.01

306.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.23 TTD 8.28

-34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$15.06 TTD 101

22.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.10 TTD 7.44

89.09%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$33.8K TTD 227.5K

2.70%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$39.1K TTD 263.2K

0.26%

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

$148 €130

$79.4 TTD 535

86.48%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$46.34 TTD 312

-55.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$61.2 TTD 412

-35.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.99 TTD 67.4

-7.71%

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

$616 €539

$326 TTD 2,199

88.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,079 TTD 47.7K

132.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$59.3 TTD 400

73.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$38.67 TTD 261

7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$144 TTD 968

-33.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$126 TTD 850

-3.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.38

-29.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Arouca: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $377 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 Arouca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Arouca differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $938 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,407 in Arouca 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.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $326 in Arouca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arouca – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Arouca versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Arouca 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 Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.