Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Donegal

For one person, living is cheaper in Donegal: $1,877 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Donegal
Learn more

Donegal Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Donegal

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Donegal

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,877 in Donegal, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Donegal $1,877

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,775 in Donegal, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Donegal $2,775

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,673 in Donegal, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Donegal $3,673

Lisbon costs about 18% more than Donegal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Donegal sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Donegal by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$20.37 €18.25

-18.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$84.0 €75.3

-26.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$5.74 €5.14

97.91%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.85 €2.55

4.21%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.71 €1.53

33.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.14 €1.02

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$7.31 €6.55

-53.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.61 €5.93

-49.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.61 €1.44

-27.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.81 €1.62

5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.82 €1.63

-17.03%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.36 €3.01

19.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$7.74 €6.94

67.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$12.61 €11.30

-38.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$13.33 €11.94

33.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.28 €2.04

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.66 €1.49

4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.35 €1.21

37.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.15 €3.72

-37.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.36 €1.21

33.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.82 €2.52

-30.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.30 €1.16

13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.07 €1.85

-65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$20.88 €18.71

-68.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$16.80 €15.06

-66.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.04 €2.73

-55.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.78 €2.49

-23.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.49 €4.92

-29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.51 €1.35

-29.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$66.3 €59.4

-75.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.00 €1.79

10.00%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$39.5K €35.4K

-13.40%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$37.6K €33.7K

3.01%

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

$161 €144

$166 €149

-2.83%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$20.98 €18.80

-12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$44.62 €39.98

-26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$56.5 €50.6

-21.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$11.32 €10.15

-15.19%

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

$668 €598

$849 €761

-21.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$2,265 €2,030

677.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$73.1 €65.5

39.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$36.54 €32.74

21.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$77.7 €69.7

26.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$97.0 €87.0

27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,108 €993

45.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$827 €741

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,595 €1,429

76.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,238 €1,109

62.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$1,699 €1,522

361.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$1,107 €992

313.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$4,241 €3,800

-62.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.6

6.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Donegal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Donegal

$827 44.1% 30.5% $363

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Donegal

$323 17.2% 18.5% $50

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Donegal

$275 14.7% 13.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Donegal

$232 12.3% 9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Donegal

$128 6.8% 22.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Donegal

$79 4.2% 24.1% $15

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Donegal

$13 * 0.7% 79.4% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Donegal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Donegal are about 2.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $84 in Donegal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $323 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇪 Donegal

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

2,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Donegal 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Donegal

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 Donegal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,815 in Donegal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Donegal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,108 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,877 in Donegal. That makes Donegal about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $849 in Donegal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,877 in Donegal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,877 in Donegal to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.