Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballina

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Ballina: $2,202 and $2,218 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,218

/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 $2,218 in Ballina, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Ballina $2,218

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $3,255 in Ballina, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Ballina $3,255

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $4,293 in Ballina, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Ballina $4,293

Lisbon is about 1% cheaper than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Ballina sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Ballina by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$16.90 €15.04

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$66.2 €58.9

-5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$12.43 €11.05

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.84 €3.42

-18.75%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.55 €1.38

46.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.31 €1.16

32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$5.75 €5.12

-40.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$7.60 €6.76

-50.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.63 €1.45

-28.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.21 €1.97

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.07 €1.84

-25.60%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.12 €2.77

30.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$10.21 €9.08

26.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$12.91 €11.48

-38.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$16.16 €14.37

9.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.77 €2.47

-18.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.61 €1.43

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.72 €2.42

-30.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$5.13 €4.57

-50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.87 €1.66

-1.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.54 €1.37

27.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.35 €1.20

7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$2.10 €1.86

-63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$20.99 €18.67

-68.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$9.99 €8.89

-43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.44 €3.06

-60.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$3.43 €3.06

-38.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$5.51 €4.90

-57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$137 €122

-67.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$5.01 €4.45

-21.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.53 €1.36

-31.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$37.53 €33.38

-54.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.99 €1.77

10.05%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$33.9K €30.1K

-0.21%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$38.0K €33.8K

0.64%

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

$164 €146

$280 €249

-41.59%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$18.65 €16.59

-0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$39.19 €34.86

-15.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$51.4 €45.71

-10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$11.02 €9.80

69.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$12.15 €10.80

-19.75%

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

$684 €608

$1,265 €1,125

-45.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$14.5K €12.9K

21.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$106 €94.6

-2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$49.68 €44.19

-7.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$116 €103

-13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$112 €100

10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$892 €793

78.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$839 €746

39.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,294 €1,151

120.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,361 €1,210

46.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$3,418 €3,040

128.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,838 €2,524

55.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,322 €2,955

-51.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.82

0.79%

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 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Ballina

$839 37.8% 28.2% $330

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Ballina

$346 15.6% 26.8% $73

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Ballina

$274 12.4% 10.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Ballina

$338 15.3% 57.2% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Ballina

$173 7.8% 2.6% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Ballina

$76 3.4% 15.8% $10

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Ballina

$172 7.8% 173% $109

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $892 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 108% higher in Ballina, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $66.0 in Ballina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $346 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇪 Ballina

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

10,556

💱 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 Ballina 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min 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

Ballina costs about 1% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $3,327 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.

Public transport costs about 209% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $1,265 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Ballina at $2,218. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,202 versus $2,218 in Ballina. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.