Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bologna

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Bologna: $2,223 and $2,168 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Bologna
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Bologna Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Bologna

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bologna

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $2,168 in Bologna, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Bologna $2,168

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $3,357 in Bologna, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Bologna $3,357

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $4,546 in Bologna, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Bologna $4,546

Lisbon costs about 3% more than Bologna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Bologna sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Bologna by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$22.66 €20.16

-27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$87.8 €78.1

-30.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$13.46 €11.98

-16.27%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.24 €1.99

36.61%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$3.52 €3.13

-35.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.81 €1.61

-4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$6.68 €5.94

-49.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$5.63 €5.01

-39.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.40 €1.25

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.99 €2.66

-37.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.89 €2.57

-47.06%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$4.01 €3.57

-1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$20.41 €18.15

-37.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$12.24 €10.88

-35.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$21.03 €18.70

-19.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.48 €2.21

-8.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.40 €2.13

-27.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.55 €2.27

-27.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$3.31 €2.95

-22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.88 €1.67

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.71 €1.52

18.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.35 €1.20

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.56 €0.50

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$6.88 €6.12

-4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$7.96 €7.08

-29.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.91 €1.70

-32.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.83 €2.52

-26.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.63 €2.34

-10.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$42.76 €38.03

3.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$4.64 €4.13

-14.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.65 €1.47

-33.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$31.98 €28.45

-47.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.14 €1.90

6.54%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$36.8K €32.8K

-8.60%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$36.4K €32.4K

7.89%

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

$167 €149

$249 €221

-32.60%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$11.10 €9.88

69.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$31.22 €27.77

5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$63.1 €56.1

-27.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$26.63 €23.69

-27.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$9.87 €8.78

-0.30%

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

$677 €602

$768 €683

-11.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$16.5K €14.7K

2.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$93.5 €83.1

8.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$46.18 €41.08

-0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$122 €109

-18.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$146 €129

-15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,141 €1,015

41.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$867 €771

38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$2,081 €1,851

37.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,574 €1,400

26.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$5,130 €4,563

47.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$3,737 €3,324

15.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$2,103 €1,870

-24.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.19

20.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bologna: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Bologna

$867 40% 27.6% $330

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Bologna

$363 16.7% 34.7% $93

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Bologna

$314 14.5% 29.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Bologna

$291 13.4% 32.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Bologna

$183 8.5% 10.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Bologna

$83 3.8% 26.1% $17

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Bologna

$66 3.1% 5.1% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,141 in Bologna. 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 32% higher in Bologna, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $88.0 in Bologna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $363 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇹 Bologna

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

386,663

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Lisbon Bologna 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Bologna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 3% more than Bologna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $3,251 in Bologna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 3% less in Bologna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $768 in Bologna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bologna, where all-in costs run around $2,168, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Bologna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bologna costs $2,168 versus $2,223 in Lisbon. 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 Bologna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.