Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cento Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cento

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,752 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,714 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,676 in Cento.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 26% more expensive than Cento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Cento 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$20.74 €17.86

-23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$81.6 €70.3

-20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.03 €9.49

-4.71%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.09 €1.80

37.32%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.76 €2.38

-18.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.42 €1.22

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.86 €5.04

-40.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.69 €4.90

-31.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.59 €1.37

-28.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.55 €2.19

-31.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.78 €2.40

-36.69%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.40 €3.78

-26.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$21.21 €18.26

-36.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$13.37 €11.51

-40.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$17.65 €15.20

-10.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.34 €2.01

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.14 €1.84

-20.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.02 €1.74

-0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.02 €2.60

-18.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.63 €1.40

12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.42 €1.22

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.72 €1.48

12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.54 €0.46

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$7.00 €6.03

-5.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.30 €7.14

-31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.68 €1.44

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.89 €1.63

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.76 €1.52

34.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$43.14 €37.14

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.88 €5.06

-27.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.46 €1.26

-43.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$28.81 €24.81

-36.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.02 €1.74

1.98%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.0K €22.4K

31.67%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.4K €29.6K

14.23%

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

$148 €127

$183 €157

-19.11%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$11.55 €9.95

77.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$30.69 €26.42

29.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$54.3 €46.70

-11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$22.77 €19.60

-16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$10.93 €9.41

-16.01%

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

$614 €529

$654 €563

-6.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,089 €6,964

98.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$90.9 €78.2

15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$43.63 €37.56

-3.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$98.9 €85.1

-4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$170 €146

-29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$764 €657

113.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$569 €490

120.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,199 €1,033

152.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$910 €784

121.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$2,807 €2,416

177.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$1,891 €1,628

125.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,849 €1,592

-13.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.17

-8.63%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cento: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $764 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $82.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $351 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cento wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Cento earns 15% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $764 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cento runs roughly 6% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $654 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,752 in Cento versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cento but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cento delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,752 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cento hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cento 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 Cento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.