Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chaves

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaves: $1,064 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Chaves
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Chaves Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Chaves

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Chaves

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $1,064 in Chaves, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Chaves $1,064

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $1,607 in Chaves, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Chaves $1,607

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $2,150 in Chaves, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Chaves $2,150

Lisbon costs about 107% more than Chaves, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Chaves is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$7.99 €7.10

113.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$22.32 €19.86

179.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$7.78 €6.92

41.65%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.54 €1.37

102.60%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.49 €1.33

52.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.57 €0.51

205.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.28 €2.03

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.73 €2.43

37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.02 €0.90

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.14 €1.01

63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.13 €1.01

36.28%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.05 €2.71

33.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$6.23 €5.54

107.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$6.53 €5.81

20.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$10.26 €9.12

71.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.14 €1.01

98.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.15 €1.02

52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.11 €0.98

70.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.10 €0.97

132.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.02 €1.80

-8.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.13 €1.01

74.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.41 €1.26

2.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.79 €0.70

-2.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$5.97 €5.31

12.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$4.03 €3.58

40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.15 €1.02

19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.15 €1.02

83.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.87 €0.77

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$27.67 €24.61

60.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$3.97 €3.53

-0.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.68 €0.61

54.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$19.78 €17.60

-13.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.95 €1.73

12.31%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$34.1K €30.4K

-1.00%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$37.6K €33.4K

1.77%

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

$164 €146

$134 €119

22.59%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$17.81 €15.84

3.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$31.69 €28.19

4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$25.25 €22.46

81.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$5.49 €4.88

240.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$7.14 €6.35

36.55%

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

$684 €608

$223 €199

206.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$3,620 €3,220

386.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$71.9 €63.9

44.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$22.56 €20.07

104.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$63.0 €56.1

58.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$90.2 €80.3

38.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$478 €425

232.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$378 €336

209.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$951 €846

199.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$736 €655

170.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$1,870 €1,663

316.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$1,472 €1,310

200.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$1,015 €903

57.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

28.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chaves: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Chaves

$378 35.5% 67.7% $791

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Chaves

$182 17.2% 33.2% $91

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Chaves

$131 12.3% 47.1% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Chaves

$183 17.2% 14.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Chaves

$111 10.5% 33.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Chaves

$40 3.7% 39.5% $26

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Chaves

$39 3.6% 38.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $478 in Chaves. 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 58% higher in Lisbon, 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 $22.00 in Chaves. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $182 – making Chaves the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Chaves

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

37,592

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Chaves: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 107% more than Chaves, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $1,596 in Chaves. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chaves, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Chaves. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $223 in Chaves. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chaves, where all-in costs run around $1,064, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Chaves it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chaves costs $1,064 versus $2,202 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chaves. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.