Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Canary Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Canary Islands

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,586 in Canary Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,211 in Canary Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,837 in Canary Islands.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 40% more expensive than Canary Islands, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Canary Islands 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$17.42 €15.00

-9.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$58.5 €50.4

6.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$9.71 €8.36

8.55%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.79 €1.54

54.75%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.84 €1.58

23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.01 €0.87

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.83 €2.44

25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.33 €2.87

19.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.27 €1.10

-14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.79 €1.54

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.51 €1.30

17.22%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$3.17 €2.73

-1.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$16.74 €14.41

-20.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$8.33 €7.17

-4.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$14.41 €12.41

10.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.43 €2.09

-6.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.76 €1.51

-6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.65 €1.42

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.53 €2.18

-3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.57 €1.35

12.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.70 €1.46

15.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.53 €1.32

28.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.70 €0.60

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$4.70 €4.05

39.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$7.99 €6.88

-28.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.43 €1.23

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.71 €1.47

74.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.64 €1.41

42.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$33.49 €28.84

36.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$3.87 €3.33

10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.28 €1.10

-34.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$17.11 €14.73

10.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.66 €1.43

24.70%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$25.3K €21.7K

39.56%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$30.6K €26.4K

26.04%

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

$151 €130

$88.9 €76.5

70.02%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$21.87 €18.83

-4.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$30.55 €26.31

29.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$49.18 €42.35

-1.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$15.15 €13.05

22.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$9.88 €8.51

-8.50%

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

$610 €525

$352 €303

73.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,528 €7,343

90.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$68.5 €59.0

47.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$33.81 €29.11

20.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$80.3 €69.1

15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$68.9 €59.3

72.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,144 €985

40.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$703 €606

76.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$2,248 €1,936

34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$817 €703

152.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$2,980 €2,566

167.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$2,131 €1,835

112.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,439 €1,239

13.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.33

14.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Canary Islands: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $1,144 in Canary Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 13% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Canary Islands. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $276, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Canary Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canary Islands wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Canary Islands the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 13% more on average, 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $1,144 in Canary Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Canary Islands – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,586 in Canary Islands versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Canary Islands but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Canary Islands the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Canary Islands delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,586 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Canary Islands hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Canary Islands 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 Canary Islands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.