Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Brisbane

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Brisbane $4,922

Lisbon is about 13% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Brisbane sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$17.39 A$25.02

-2.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$70.9 A$102

-12.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$11.09 A$15.95

-0.63%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$4.43 A$6.38

-29.57%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.90 A$4.17

-21.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.43 A$3.49

-28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$8.42 A$12.12

-59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$8.31 A$11.96

-54.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.67 A$2.40

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.72 A$3.92

-31.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.29 A$3.29

-32.75%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.82 A$6.94

-15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.06 A$13.03

42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$9.18 A$13.21

-13.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$14.21 A$20.45

24.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.31 A$6.20

-47.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$3.04 A$4.38

-42.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.00 A$4.32

-37.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$4.75 A$6.84

-46.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.72 A$3.92

-31.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.34 A$3.37

-15.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.42 A$3.48

-40.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.19 A$1.71

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$38.67 A$55.7

-82.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$12.66 A$18.21

-55.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$5.40 A$7.77

-74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$5.13 A$7.38

-58.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.37 A$0.53

527.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$20.72 A$29.81

114.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$2.92 A$4.20

35.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.86 A$2.68

-43.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$41.05 A$59.1

-58.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.40 A$2.01

56.43%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$29.7K A$42.8K

13.57%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$26.0K A$37.4K

47.36%

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

$164 €146

$159 A$229

2.95%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$26.52 A$38.16

-30.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$60.6 A$87.2

-45.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$60.9 A$87.6

-24.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$22.22 A$31.97

-15.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$14.14 A$20.34

-31.05%

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

$684 €608

$1,952 A$2,808

-64.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$12.7K A$18.3K

38.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$83.3 A$120

24.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$43.69 A$62.9

5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$113 A$163

-11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$111 A$160

12.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,939 A$2,790

-18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,322 A$1,902

-11.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$3,408 A$4,904

-16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$2,242 A$3,226

-11.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$8,271 A$11.9K

-5.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$5,920 A$8,518

-25.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$4,183 A$6,020

-61.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.81

-33.73%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 13.1% $153

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 32.9% $90

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 23.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 14.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 6.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 36.3% $24

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 45.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,939 in Brisbane. 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 161% higher in Brisbane, 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 $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $363 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

11:31 11:31 AM

9 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

2,287,896

💱 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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 Brisbane 17,940 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Brisbane

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 Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 14% more than Lisbon, 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 $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $3,777 in Brisbane. 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.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon and $71.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Brisbane at $2,518. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,202 versus $2,518 in Brisbane. 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, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.