Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cosenza Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cosenza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,385 in Cosenza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,200 in Cosenza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,016 in Cosenza.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 60% more expensive than Cosenza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Cosenza 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$17.64 €15.18

-9.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$63.9 €55.0

1.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.34 €9.76

-7.32%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.63 €1.41

76.07%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.14 €1.84

4.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.09 €0.94

37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.66 €4.01

-25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.74 €4.08

-18.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.12 €0.96

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.72 €1.48

1.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.73 €2.35

-35.53%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.62 €3.11

-11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$12.21 €10.51

10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.38 €8.93

-23.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$15.53 €13.37

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.34 €2.02

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.00 €1.72

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.32 €2.00

-13.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.27 €2.82

-24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.32 €1.14

39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.91 €1.65

4.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.44 €1.24

34.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.41 €0.35

92.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$7.03 €6.05

-5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.32 €7.16

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.22 €1.91

-38.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.05 €2.63

-2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.37 €1.18

72.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$42.93 €36.96

6.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.70 €4.90

-24.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.50 €0.43

64.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$25.77 €22.19

-28.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.09 €1.80

-1.44%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$30.7K €26.4K

11.73%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.6K €25.4K

32.94%

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

$148 €127

$226 €195

-34.61%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.41 €11.55

53.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$32.17 €27.69

23.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$47.41 €40.82

0.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$17.52 €15.09

7.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$8.65 €7.45

6.13%

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

$614 €529

$295 €254

107.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,860 €2,462

461.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$69.7 €60.0

50.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$36.86 €31.74

14.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$101 €87.1

-7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$110 €94.9

8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$519 €447

213.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$341 €294

267.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$894 €770

238.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$680 €586

197.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$1,852 €1,594

321.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$1,357 €1,168

214.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,605 €1,381

-0.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.04

-5.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cosenza: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $519 in Cosenza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cosenza pays 0% 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 $64.0 in Cosenza. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $291, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cosenza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Cosenza differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,385 including rent). Cosenza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cosenza earns 0% 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 $519 in Cosenza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $295 in Cosenza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,385 in Cosenza versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cosenza but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cosenza 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 Cosenza 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 Cosenza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.