Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Balbriggan

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,676 in Balbriggan, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Balbriggan
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Balbriggan Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Balbriggan

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Balbriggan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,676 in Balbriggan.

Lisbon $2,210
Balbriggan $2,676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,956 in Balbriggan.

Lisbon $3,275
Balbriggan $3,956

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,236 in Balbriggan.

Lisbon $4,341
Balbriggan $5,236

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 17% less than in Balbriggan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Balbriggan 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$22.68 €20.33

-26.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$98.7 €88.5

-37.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$13.53 €12.13

-16.04%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$5.01 €4.49

-40.72%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.97 €2.66

-22.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.25 €2.02

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$7.60 €6.81

-55.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$7.95 €7.12

-58.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.68 €1.50

-30.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.28 €2.05

-16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.06 €1.85

-26.70%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.16 €2.83

27.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$10.05 €9.01

28.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$12.89 €11.55

-39.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$16.23 €14.54

9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.76 €2.48

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.28 €2.05

-24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.72 €2.44

-31.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$5.09 €4.56

-49.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.91 €1.71

-4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.54 €1.38

27.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.37 €1.22

7.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.09 €1.88

-65.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$21.36 €19.14

-69.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$13.37 €11.98

-58.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.80 €2.51

-51.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.47 €2.21

-13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.47 €2.21

-5.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$133 €119

-66.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.03 €4.51

-23.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.54 €1.38

-30.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$37.74 €33.82

-56.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.08 €1.86

5.77%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$39.4K €35.3K

-13.24%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$38.1K €34.1K

1.73%

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

$161 €144

$171 €153

-5.59%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$16.82 €15.07

9.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$44.91 €40.25

-27.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$53.3 €47.72

-16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$13.27 €11.89

-27.66%

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

$668 €598

$1,259 €1,128

-46.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$5,150 €4,615

242.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$109 €98.1

-6.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$27.97 €25.06

58.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$61.4 €55.0

60.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$132 €118

-6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,553 €1,392

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,349 €1,209

-11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$2,533 €2,269

11.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$2,159 €1,935

-6.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$3,612 €3,237

26.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$2,292 €2,054

-31.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.81

1.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Balbriggan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Balbriggan

$1.3K 50.4% 13.4% $159

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Balbriggan

$353 13.2% 29.5% $80

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Balbriggan

$357 13.3% 47.1% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Balbriggan

$232 8.7% 9.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Balbriggan

$149 5.6% 10.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Balbriggan

$80 3% 25.2% $16

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Balbriggan

$156 5.8% 147% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,553 in Balbriggan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $99 in Balbriggan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $353 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇪 Balbriggan

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

24,322

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Balbriggan 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Balbriggan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,676 in Balbriggan, so Lisbon is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,553 in Balbriggan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $99 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Balbriggan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.