Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballarat Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballarat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,676 in Ballarat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,749 in Ballarat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,823 in Ballarat.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 37% more expensive than in Ballarat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Ballarat 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$14.18 A$20.29

14.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$64.2 A$92.0

-1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$9.73 A$13.94

6.06%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.55 A$5.09

-20.28%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.53 A$3.62

-9.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.02 A$2.89

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$6.03 A$8.63

-43.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$7.01 A$10.03

-42.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.46 A$2.09

-25.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.57 A$3.68

-31.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.54 A$2.21

14.29%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.27 A$6.12

-25.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$8.82 A$12.62

49.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$9.47 A$13.56

-15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$14.55 A$20.83

6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.26 A$4.67

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.81 A$4.03

-39.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.89 A$4.13

-30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$3.88 A$5.56

-37.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.69 A$3.85

-34.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.33 A$3.33

-12.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.19 A$3.13

-12.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.04 A$1.49

-18.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$31.14 A$44.58

-78.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$13.93 A$19.95

-59.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.14 A$3.07

-37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.90 A$4.15

2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.71 A$2.45

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$64.6 A$92.6

-29.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$2.32 A$3.33

82.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.15 A$1.65

-29.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$24.91 A$35.67

-25.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.14 A$1.64

82.46%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.8K A$39.8K

24.74%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$23.1K A$33.1K

69.15%

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

$148 €129

$153 A$219

-3.10%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$20.80 A$29.78

-1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$50.2 A$71.8

-21.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$32.31 A$46.26

48.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$15.46 A$22.14

20.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$11.21 A$16.05

-17.75%

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

$616 €538

$321 A$460

91.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$19.0K A$27.2K

-13.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$65.8 A$94.2

56.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$53.1 A$76.0

-21.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$86.0 A$123

10.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$90.8 A$130

34.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$860 A$1,231

89.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$632 A$904

95.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$2,055 A$2,943

50.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$1,339 A$1,918

51.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$4,630 A$6,629

69.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$3,407 A$4,877

28.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$3,172 A$4,542

-49.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.07

-37.23%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $860 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Ballarat 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 Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Ballarat. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $860 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $321 in Ballarat. 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 $1,676 in Ballarat versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ballarat delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,676 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ballarat hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ballarat 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.