Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballina

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,483 in Ballina, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
Learn more

Ballina Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $2,483 in Ballina, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Ballina $2,483

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $3,603 in Ballina, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Ballina $3,603

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $4,722 in Ballina, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Ballina $4,722

Lisbon is about 11% cheaper than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Ballina sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Ballina by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$17.32 A$24.92

-1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$84.4 A$122

-26.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$10.28 A$14.79

7.20%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.89 A$5.60

-19.79%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.89 A$4.16

-21.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.18 A$3.13

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$7.67 A$11.03

-55.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$7.73 A$11.12

-51.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$2.57 A$3.69

-54.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.27 A$4.71

-43.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.29 A$3.30

-32.75%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$5.50 A$7.92

-26.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$6.20 A$8.93

108.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$9.48 A$13.64

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$14.50 A$20.86

21.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.43 A$4.94

-34.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.99 A$4.31

-41.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.25 A$4.67

-41.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$3.47 A$4.99

-26.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.83 A$4.07

-34.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.31 A$3.33

-14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$3.44 A$4.95

-57.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.47 A$2.12

-47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$42.17 A$60.7

-84.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$14.11 A$20.31

-59.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$4.72 A$6.79

-70.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$5.35 A$7.69

-60.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.93 A$4.22

-20.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$81.8 A$118

-45.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$3.40 A$4.89

16.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.56 A$2.25

-32.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$39.36 A$56.7

-56.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.31 A$1.88

67.18%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$27.3K A$39.2K

23.96%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$29.4K A$42.3K

30.14%

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

$164 €146

$202 A$290

-18.70%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$27.27 A$39.24

-32.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$55.7 A$80.2

-40.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$55.5 A$79.9

-17.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$17.72 A$25.50

5.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$14.86 A$21.38

-34.39%

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

$684 €608

$2,185 A$3,145

-68.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$19.9K A$28.6K

-11.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$76.3 A$110

35.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$54.6 A$78.5

-15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$106 A$152

-5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$122 A$176

2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,403 A$2,019

13.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,186 A$1,706

-1.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,174 A$3,128

31.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,804 A$2,596

10.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$5,904 A$8,495

32.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$4,889 A$7,035

-9.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.84

-34.08%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Ballina

$1.2K 47.7% 1.4% $17

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Ballina

$372 15% 36.1% $99

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Ballina

$290 11.7% 17.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Ballina

$284 11.5% 32.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Ballina

$161 6.5% 4.2% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Ballina

$85 3.4% 30.4% $20

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Ballina

$105 4.2% 66.4% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,403 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $84.0 in Ballina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $372 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

04:45 4:45 AM

10 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

8,911

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Ballina 18,080 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ballina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ballina is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $3,725 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $2,185 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Ballina, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Ballina at $2,483. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ballina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.