Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arue

For one person, living is cheaper in Arue: $1,012 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Arue

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,012 in Arue.

Lisbon $2,202
Arue $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,498 in Arue.

Lisbon $3,274
Arue $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,984 in Arue.

Lisbon $4,346
Arue $1,984

Living in Lisbon is roughly 118% more expensive than in Arue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Arue is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

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

$2.27 €2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.34 CFPF 142

-12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$4.54 CFPF 481

-59.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.75 CFPF 397

-58.93%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$11.43 CFPF 1,209

-64.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$55.4 CFPF 5,859

-76.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$26.05 CFPF 2,756

-69.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$22.92 CFPF 2,425

-23.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$5.29 CFPF 560

-57.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.89 CFPF 305

-39.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$7.36 CFPF 779

-74.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$8.54 CFPF 904

-70.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$4.09 CFPF 433

-54.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.83 CFPF 300

-30.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$3.81 CFPF 403

-61.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.37 CFPF 145

-43.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$11.86 CFPF 1,255

-43.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$27.67 CFPF 2,927

-79.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.73 CFPF 289

-49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$7.40 CFPF 782

-71.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

$156 CFPF 16.5K

4.89%

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$122 CFPF 12.9K

-72.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arue: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Arue

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Arue

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Arue

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Arue

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Arue

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Arue

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Arue

–

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇫 Arue

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

00:48 12:48 AM

11 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

10,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Arue 15,520 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Arue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arue wins on cost – living expenses run 118% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $1,518 in Arue 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.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 169% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $1,012 in Arue – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Arue versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arue but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Arue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Arue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Arue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Arue 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 Arue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.