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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,574 in Canary Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,231 in Canary Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,888 in Canary Islands.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 45% more expensive than in Canary Islands, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Canary Islands 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$17.12 €14.82

-8.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$58.6 €50.8

8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.69 €8.39

7.84%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.75 €1.52

66.29%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.75 €1.51

30.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.02 €0.88

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.87 €2.49

24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.30 €2.86

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.29 €1.11

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.71 €1.48

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.51 €1.31

12.58%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.14 €2.72

3.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$17.15 €14.85

-22.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$8.66 €7.50

-11.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$14.61 €12.65

7.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.38 €2.06

-4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.76 €1.52

-5.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.60 €1.38

26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.61 €2.26

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.62 €1.41

10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.67 €1.45

23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.53 €1.33

28.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.71 €0.61

16.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.67 €4.05

40.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.76 €6.72

-28.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.43 €1.24

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.81 €1.57

66.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.66 €1.44

36.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$33.66 €29.15

37.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.80 €3.29

11.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.32 €1.15

-35.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$17.17 €14.87

9.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.68 €1.45

20.24%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$25.7K €22.2K

36.18%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$29.8K €25.8K

33.13%

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

$148 €128

$90.9 €78.7

62.76%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$21.70 €18.79

-5.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$30.45 €26.37

29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$48.65 €42.13

-0.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$14.77 €12.79

24.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$10.03 €8.68

-9.27%

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

$615 €532

$341 €296

80.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$8,291 €7,180

96.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$68.8 €59.6

47.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$33.27 €28.82

26.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$81.5 €70.6

13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$69.1 €59.8

76.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$1,144 €990

40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$700 €607

78.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$2,283 €1,977

34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$799 €692

155.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,392 €1,205

15.08%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Canary Islands: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,144 in Canary Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $59.0 in Canary Islands. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $278, 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 45% 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.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,612 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 4% 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 $59.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,574 in Canary Islands versus $2,280 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 $1,574 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 45% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.