Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cesena Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cesena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,691 in Cesena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,613 in Cesena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,535 in Cesena.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 36% more expensive than in Cesena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Cesena 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$17.18 €14.98

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$94.0 €82.0

-33.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$12.72 €11.09

-8.96%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.29 €2.00

35.37%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.81 €2.45

-11.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.15 €1.00

51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$6.18 €5.39

-43.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$5.29 €4.61

-34.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.37 €1.19

-16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.36 €1.18

40.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.96 €1.71

-23.47%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.89 €2.52

37.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$18.12 €15.79

-26.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$11.98 €10.44

-33.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$17.08 €14.89

5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.96 €1.71

19.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.51 €2.19

-30.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.44 €2.13

-24.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.93 €3.42

-35.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.58 €1.38

16.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.75 €1.52

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.96 €1.71

-23.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.35 €0.31

134.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$7.12 €6.21

-0.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.06 €6.16

-16.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.26 €1.10

3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.78 €1.55

19.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.28 €1.99

3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$40.74 €35.51

14.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$8.64 €7.53

-52.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.00 €1.75

-43.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$34.20 €29.81

-50.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.01 €1.75

14.93%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$37.6K €32.7K

-9.16%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$36.5K €31.8K

13.37%

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

$169 €147

$196 €170

-13.79%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$10.08 €8.79

91.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$31.58 €27.53

6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$54.1 €47.18

-9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$14.48 €12.62

34.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.20 €8.89

-6.18%

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

$696 €607

$559 €488

24.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$10.5K €9,191

64.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$93.1 €81.2

13.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$37.43 €32.63

27.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$85.6 €74.7

17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$79.8 €69.5

56.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$686 €598

142.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$611 €532

104.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,177 €1,026

151.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$986 €859

107.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$3,001 €2,616

161.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,680 €2,336

66.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,770 €1,543

-7.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.3

14.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cesena: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $686 in Cesena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cesena pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $94.0 in Cesena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $311 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 Cesena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Cesena differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,691 including rent). Cesena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Cesena. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $686 in Cesena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesena – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,691 in Cesena – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,691 in Cesena versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cesena but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cesena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cesena 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 Cesena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.