Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Carlow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,548 in Carlow, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
Learn more

Carlow Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Carlow

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $2,548 in Carlow, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Carlow $2,548

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $3,814 in Carlow, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Carlow $3,814

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $5,081 in Carlow, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Carlow $5,081

Lisbon is about 14% cheaper than Carlow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Carlow sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Carlow by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$21.01 €18.69

-18.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$90.7 €80.7

-31.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$13.10 €11.65

-15.88%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$4.25 €3.78

-26.59%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.67 €2.37

-14.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.22 €1.97

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$7.41 €6.59

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$6.54 €5.82

-42.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.64 €1.46

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.99 €1.77

-6.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.91 €1.69

-19.37%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.35 €3.87

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$13.47 €11.98

-4.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$12.81 €11.39

-38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$14.43 €12.84

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.19 €2.84

-29.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$3.00 €2.67

-41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.33 €2.96

-43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$3.29 €2.92

-22.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.37 €2.11

-21.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.76 €1.57

11.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.44 €1.28

0.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.33 €1.19

-42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$18.84 €16.76

-64.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$13.53 €12.04

-58.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$4.27 €3.80

-67.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$3.43 €3.05

-38.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.25 €1.11

85.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$5.11 €4.55

-22.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.54 €1.37

-31.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$32.43 €28.85

-47.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.09 €1.86

4.78%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$38.6K €34.4K

-12.55%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$38.1K €33.9K

0.39%

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

$164 €146

$243 €216

-32.57%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$22.26 €19.80

-16.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$56.4 €50.2

-41.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$78.8 €70.1

-41.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$56.1 €49.93

-66.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$13.59 €12.09

-28.26%

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

$684 €608

$1,052 €936

-34.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$5,449 €4,847

223.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$95.3 €84.8

8.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$42.63 €37.92

8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$101 €89.8

-1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$102 €90.3

22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,441 €1,282

10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,261 €1,121

-7.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,596 €2,310

9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$2,152 €1,914

-7.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$5,664 €5,038

37.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$6,675 €5,937

-33.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$2,351 €2,091

-31.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-3.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5% 7.8% $92

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Carlow

$361 14.2% 32% $87

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Carlow

$328 12.9% 32.6% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Carlow

$322 12.6% 49.4% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Carlow

$153 6% 9.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Carlow

$106 4.2% 62.2% $41

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Carlow

$18 * 0.7% 71.7% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,441 in Carlow. 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 47% higher in Carlow, 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 $91.0 in Carlow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $361 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇪 Carlow

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

27,351

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Carlow 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Carlow

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 Carlow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $3,822 in Carlow. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,202 in Lisbon and $2,548 in Carlow. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $1,052 in Carlow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Carlow at $2,548. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Carlow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.