Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Barcelos

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelos: $1,186 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Barcelos
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Barcelos Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Barcelos

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Barcelos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,186 in Barcelos.

Lisbon $2,210
Barcelos $1,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,891 in Barcelos.

Lisbon $3,275
Barcelos $1,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,597 in Barcelos.

Lisbon $4,341
Barcelos $2,597

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than in Barcelos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Barcelos is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$11.76 €10.53

41.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$48.41 €43.35

27.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$8.92 €7.99

27.35%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$1.88 €1.69

57.98%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.00 €1.79

14.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.31 €1.17

32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.37 €3.02

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$2.76 €2.47

19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.09 €0.97

6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.79 €1.60

6.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.65 €1.48

-8.48%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.18 €2.85

26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$11.56 €10.35

11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$8.11 €7.27

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$14.79 €13.25

20.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.95 €1.75

17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.36 €1.22

27.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.82 €1.63

2.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.55 €2.29

1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.78 €1.59

2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.05 €1.83

-3.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.54 €1.38

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.91 €0.82

-20.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.87 €6.16

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$4.55 €4.07

23.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.23 €1.10

10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.22 €1.98

-3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.18 €1.95

6.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$22.57 €20.22

97.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.23 €3.79

-8.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.41 €1.27

-24.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$16.57 €14.84

-0.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.11 €1.89

4.27%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

0.09%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$37.7K €33.8K

2.74%

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

$161 €144

$103 €91.9

57.09%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$17.46 €15.64

5.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$44.42 €39.78

-26.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$38.27 €34.27

16.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$6.80 €6.09

180.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$8.96 €8.02

7.14%

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

$668 €598

$309 €276

116.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$6,324 €5,663

178.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$73.7 €66.0

38.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$37.48 €33.57

18.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$79.3 €71.0

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$105 €93.9

17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$494 €443

225.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$359 €321

231.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$901 €807

212.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$713 €639

182.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$2,689 €2,408

191.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$1,536 €1,375

197.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,076 €964

46.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.7

4.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Barcelos

$359 30.3% 69.8% $831

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Barcelos

$252 21.2% 7.5% $20

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Barcelos

$179 15.1% 26.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Barcelos

$165 13.9% 22.5% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Barcelos

$133 11.2% 19.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Barcelos

$56 4.7% 11.9% $7.6

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Barcelos

$43 3.6% 32.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $494 in Barcelos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $48 in Barcelos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $252 per month, with Barcelos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Barcelos

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

116,766

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Lisbon vs Barcelos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelos is about 46% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $494 in Barcelos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $48 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,186 in Barcelos versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.