Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Birgu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Birgu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,802 in Birgu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,879 in Birgu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,955 in Birgu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 27% more expensive than in Birgu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Birgu 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$20.88 €18.27

-22.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$96.1 €84.1

-34.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$11.39 €9.97

-9.39%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.91 €2.54

-2.75%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.26 €1.97

1.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.77 €1.55

-10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.66 €4.08

-27.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.62 €4.04

-12.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.39 €1.21

-21.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.25 €1.09

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$4.38 €3.83

-59.82%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.16 €3.64

-23.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$10.39 €9.09

26.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$8.71 €7.62

-8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$14.07 €12.31

10.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.91 €2.55

-18.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.30 €1.14

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.95 €2.58

-31.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.95 €2.58

-17.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.29 €2.00

-23.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.35 €1.18

50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.31 €2.02

-16.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.90 €0.79

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.57 €5.75

0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.04 €7.04

-30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.66 €1.45

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.31 €2.02

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.83 €2.48

-19.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$14.40 €12.60

217.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.91 €5.17

-28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.01 €0.88

-19.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$49.68 €43.47

-62.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.52 €1.33

36.84%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.1K €23.7K

28.11%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$34.2K €29.9K

14.52%

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

$148 €130

$95.3 €83.4

55.37%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$27.98 €24.48

-26.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$33.55 €29.35

17.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$45.03 €39.40

6.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$23.11 €20.22

-19.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.46 €9.15

-11.85%

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

$616 €539

$422 €369

45.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,121 €1,856

675.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$26.43 €23.13

288.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$34.94 €30.57

19.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$105 €91.7

-9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$102 €89.1

19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$1,014 €887

61.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$831 €727

48.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$3,766 €3,295

-17.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,568 €1,372

29.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,961 €3,465

97.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,833 €2,479

54.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,912 €1,673

-15.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.43

-14.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Birgu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,014 in Birgu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 19% 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 $96.0 in Birgu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $285 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 Birgu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgu wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Birgu. 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 $1,014 in Birgu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Birgu runs roughly 218% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $422 in Birgu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,802 in Birgu versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Birgu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Birgu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,802 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Birgu 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 Birgu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.