Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Carrara

For one person, living is cheaper in Carrara: $1,729 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Carrara
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Carrara Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Carrara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Carrara

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,729 in Carrara, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Carrara $1,729

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,591 in Carrara, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Carrara $2,591

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,453 in Carrara, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Carrara $3,453

Lisbon costs about 28% more than Carrara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lisbon and Carrara sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Carrara by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$22.62 €20.27

-26.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$78.0 €69.9

-20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$10.00 €8.96

13.60%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$1.72 €1.54

72.67%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.66 €2.38

-13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.09 €0.98

59.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$6.86 €6.15

-50.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.20 €5.55

-46.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.59 €1.42

-27.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.15 €1.92

-11.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.91 €2.61

-48.11%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.45 €3.09

16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$12.68 €11.36

2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$12.14 €10.88

-36.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$25.81 €23.13

-31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.53 €2.26

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.29 €2.05

-24.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.24 €2.90

-42.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$3.31 €2.96

-21.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.81 €1.62

0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.85 €1.66

6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.42 €1.27

3.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.33 €0.29

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.61 €5.92

-0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$7.87 €7.05

-28.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.95 €1.75

-30.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.26 €2.03

-5.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.94 €1.74

20.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$38.47 €34.48

16.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$3.59 €3.21

7.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.26 €1.13

-15.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$30.82 €27.62

-46.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.03 €1.82

8.37%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$35.2K €31.5K

-2.88%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$38.5K €34.5K

0.56%

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

$161 €144

$240 €215

-32.77%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$11.47 €10.28

60.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$33.46 €29.98

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$35.74 €32.03

24.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$24.18 €21.66

-21.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$11.12 €9.97

-13.67%

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

$668 €598

$765 €686

-12.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$9,862 €8,837

78.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$22.26 €19.95

358.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$39.02 €34.96

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$88.0 €78.8

11.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$136 €122

-8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$534 €478

201.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$565 €506

110.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,148 €1,028

145.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$807 €723

149.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$2,969 €2,661

163.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,046 €1,834

123.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,656 €1,484

-4.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.16

21.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Carrara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Carrara

$565 32.7% 52.5% $625

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Carrara

$344 19.9% 26.2% $71

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Carrara

$293 17% 20.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Carrara

$285 16.5% 34.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Carrara

$128 7.4% 22.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Carrara

$58 3.4% 9% $5.8

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Carrara

$56 3.3% 11.2% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $534 in Carrara. 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 5% higher in Carrara, 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 $62 in Lisbon versus $78 in Carrara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $344 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇹 Carrara

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

63,133

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Carrara 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Carrara

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 Carrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 28% more than Carrara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,593 in Carrara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carrara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $534 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $78 in Carrara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Carrara, where all-in costs run around $1,729, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Carrara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,729 in Carrara to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.