Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Balga

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,762 in Balga, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Balga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,762 in Balga.

Lisbon $2,210
Balga $2,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,828 in Balga.

Lisbon $3,275
Balga $3,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,893 in Balga.

Lisbon $4,341
Balga $4,893

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 20% less than in Balga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Balga 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.94

$20.97 A$29.81

-20.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.4

$83.2 A$118

-25.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.19

$11.13 A$15.83

2.07%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.62 A$6.57

-35.71%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.80 A$3.98

-18.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.30 A$3.27

-24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$8.39 A$11.93

-59.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.25 A$11.73

-59.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.74 A$2.47

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.14 A$4.47

-39.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.97 A$2.80

-23.35%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$5.09 A$7.24

-21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.61

$9.27 A$13.17

39.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$9.46 A$13.45

-17.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.94

$13.74 A$19.53

29.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$4.56 A$6.49

-49.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$3.21 A$4.56

-46.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$3.56 A$5.07

-47.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.85 A$6.89

-46.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.85 A$4.05

-36.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.93 A$2.74

2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.26 A$3.22

-34.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.34 A$1.90

-46.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$42.17 A$60.0

-84.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.03

$12.46 A$17.71

-54.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$4.35 A$6.19

-68.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.52 A$5.00

-39.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.67 A$3.80

-12.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.09

$78.5 A$112

-43.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$3.61 A$5.14

6.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.39 A$1.98

-23.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.77

$41.13 A$58.5

-59.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.35 A$1.92

62.96%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$29.9K A$42.5K

14.30%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$27.8K A$39.6K

39.05%

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

$161 €145

$207 A$294

-21.94%

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

$18.41 €16.52

$33.27 A$47.30

-44.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.37

$63.5 A$90.3

-48.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.97

$62.6 A$89.0

-28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.14

$19.26 A$27.39

-0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.61

$17.26 A$24.54

-44.38%

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

$668 €599

$2,271 A$3,228

-70.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$23.7K A$33.8K

-25.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.5

$78.3 A$111

30.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.90

$63.5 A$90.2

-29.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.4

$123 A$175

-20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$165 A$234

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,443

$1,467 A$2,086

9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,068

$1,368 A$1,945

-13.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,523

$2,000 A$2,843

40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,806

$1,781 A$2,532

13.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,034

$6,422 A$9,130

22.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,106

$4,389 A$6,240

4.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,413

$3,358 A$4,775

-53.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.96

-35.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Balga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Balga

$1.4K 49.5% 15% $178

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Balga

$365 13.2% 34.1% $93

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Balga

$335 12.1% 38.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Balga

$303 11% 42.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Balga

$193 7% 16.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Balga

$97 3.5% 52.4% $33

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Balga

$100 3.6% 57.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,467 in Balga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balga pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $83 in Balga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $365 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Balga

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

21:56 9:56 PM

8 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

12,685

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lisbon Balga 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Balga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,762 in Balga, so Lisbon is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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 $1,467 in Balga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $83 in Balga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,762 in Balga – Lisbon is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Balga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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