Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,629 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 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
175

Cost of Living Index in Dublin
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Dublin Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Dublin

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Dublin

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $3,629 in Dublin, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Dublin $3,629

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $5,130 in Dublin, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Dublin $5,130

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $6,631 in Dublin, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Dublin $6,631

Lisbon is about 39% cheaper than Dublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Dublin sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Dublin by 167%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.96

$23.23 €20.87

-28.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$102 €91.6

-39.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$13.28 €11.93

-14.46%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$4.91 €4.41

-39.51%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$2.98 €2.68

-23.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.18 €1.95

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$7.92 €7.12

-57.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$7.76 €6.98

-57.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.63 €1.46

-28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.42 €2.18

-21.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.06 €1.85

-26.70%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.92 €4.42

-18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$9.86 €8.86

31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.99

$12.50 €11.24

-37.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.96

$16.23 €14.59

9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.81 €2.52

-18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.22 €1.99

-22.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.81 €2.53

-33.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$5.15 €4.63

-49.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$1.86 €1.68

-2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.46 €1.31

34.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.32 €1.18

11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.11 €1.89

-65.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.92

$20.86 €18.74

-68.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$13.24 €11.90

-57.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.43 €3.08

-60.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.51 €3.15

-39.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$2.29 €2.06

1.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$106 €95.3

-57.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$5.27 €4.73

-26.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.49 €1.34

-28.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$38.05 €34.19

-56.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.10 €1.89

4.76%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$38.4K €34.5K

-11.04%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$37.8K €33.9K

2.56%

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

$161 €145

$269 €241

-39.98%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$18.56 €16.67

-0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$53.1 €47.73

-38.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.03

$63.8 €57.3

-30.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$20.81 €18.70

-8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$15.64 €14.05

-38.62%

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

$668 €600

$1,269 €1,140

-47.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$14.4K €13.0K

21.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.7

$105 €94.7

-3.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.95

$51.1 €45.88

-12.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$114 €102

-13.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$131 €118

-5.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$2,475 €2,223

-35.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$2,162 €1,942

-44.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,527

$4,319 €3,881

-34.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,809

$3,331 €2,993

-39.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,043

$8,467 €7,608

-7.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,111

$5,920 €5,319

-22.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$3,706 €3,330

-57.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.81

1.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Dublin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Dublin

$2.2K 59.6% 81.6% $971

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Dublin

$363 10% 33.4% $91

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Dublin

$360 9.9% 48.5% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Dublin

$340 9.4% 60.2% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Dublin

$181 5% 8.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Dublin

$95 2.6% 49.1% $31

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Dublin

$128 3.5% 102% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,475 in Dublin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dublin are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $102 in Dublin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $363 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇪 Dublin

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

588,233 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Dublin 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Dublin

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 Dublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $3,629 in Dublin – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $5,444 in Dublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $2,475 in Dublin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $102 in Dublin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,629 in Dublin. That’s a gap of about 64%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Dublin at $3,629. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $3,629 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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