Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cesena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cesena: $1,645 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Cesena
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Cesena Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Cesena

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cesena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,645 in Cesena.

Lisbon $2,210
Cesena $1,645

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,547 in Cesena.

Lisbon $3,275
Cesena $2,547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,449 in Cesena.

Lisbon $4,341
Cesena $3,449

Living in Lisbon is roughly 34% more expensive than in Cesena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Cesena 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$16.57 €14.84

0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$88.2 €79.0

-29.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$12.35 €11.06

-8.02%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.14 €1.92

38.79%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.81 €2.52

-18.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.13 €1.02

53.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$5.97 €5.35

-43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$5.11 €4.58

-35.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.41 €1.26

-17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.32 €1.18

44.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.95 €1.75

-22.56%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$2.84 €2.54

41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$18.23 €16.33

-29.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$11.82 €10.59

-34.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$16.60 €14.87

6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.90 €1.70

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.52 €2.26

-31.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.38 €2.13

-21.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$3.87 €3.46

-33.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.60 €1.43

13.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.64 €1.47

20.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.95 €1.75

-24.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.35 €0.31

105.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.54 €5.85

0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$6.59 €5.91

-14.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.22 €1.10

11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.71 €1.53

25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.25 €2.02

3.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$39.86 €35.70

12.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$8.53 €7.64

-54.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.94 €1.74

-44.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$33.99 €30.44

-51.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.05 €1.83

7.32%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$35.9K €32.2K

-4.82%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$35.7K €32.0K

8.33%

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

$161 €144

$189 €170

-14.83%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$9.70 €8.69

89.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$29.86 €26.74

9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$52.2 €46.71

-14.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$14.14 €12.67

35.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$10.25 €9.18

-6.34%

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

$668 €598

$535 €479

24.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$10.2K €9,120

72.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$91.1 €81.6

11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$36.51 €32.70

21.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$85.0 €76.1

15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$77.6 €69.5

59.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$654 €586

145.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$589 €527

102.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$1,165 €1,043

141.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$950 €851

111.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$2,926 €2,620

167.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$2,604 €2,332

75.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,724 €1,544

-8.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.3

16.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cesena: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Cesena

$589 35.8% 50.5% $601

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Cesena

$306 18.6% 12.5% $34

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Cesena

$251 15.3% 3.6% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Cesena

$229 13.9% 7.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Cesena

$131 7.9% 21.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Cesena

$73 4.4% 14% $8.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cesena

$67 4.1% 6.2% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $654 in Cesena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cesena pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $88 in Cesena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $306 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇹 Cesena

🕒 Local time

22:13 10:13 PM

23:13 11:13 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

96,758

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Cesena 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Cesena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,645 in Cesena, so Cesena is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $654 in Cesena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $88 in Cesena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,645 in Cesena – Cesena is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cesena gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.