Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dubrovnik

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubrovnik: $1,979 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Dubrovnik
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Dubrovnik Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Dubrovnik

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Dubrovnik

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $1,979 in Dubrovnik, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Dubrovnik $1,979

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $2,933 in Dubrovnik, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Dubrovnik $2,933

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $3,886 in Dubrovnik, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Dubrovnik $3,886

Lisbon costs about 12% more than Dubrovnik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Dubrovnik sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Dubrovnik by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$19.49 €17.34

-15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$77.3 €68.8

-20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$12.71 €11.30

-11.33%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.21 €3.74

-27.32%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$4.50 €4.01

-49.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$4.49 €3.99

-61.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.45 €4.85

-37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$7.98 €7.10

-57.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.08 €0.96

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.21 €1.07

53.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.30 €2.05

-33.48%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$4.18 €3.72

-5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$9.90 €8.81

28.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$8.96 €7.97

-11.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$9.60 €8.54

76.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.77 €1.58

28.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.36 €1.21

28.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.70 €1.51

8.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.74 €2.44

-6.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.86 €0.77

116.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.91 €0.81

121.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.10 €0.98

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.25 €1.11

-34.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$5.36 €4.76

22.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$4.41 €3.92

27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.32 €1.18

-3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.88 €2.56

-28.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.83 €2.51

-16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$54.6 €48.53

-19.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$4.41 €3.92

-9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.22 €1.08

-10.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$7.40 €6.58

124.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.80 €1.60

26.67%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$25.9K €23.0K

30.00%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$25.5K €22.7K

54.13%

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

$167 €149

$178 €158

-5.64%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$22.58 €20.09

-16.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$42.34 €37.66

-21.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$70.1 €62.4

-34.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$23.39 €20.81

-17.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$8.00 €7.12

23.00%

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

$677 €602

$90.6 €80.6

647.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$6,922 €6,157

144.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$73.3 €65.2

38.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$27.46 €24.43

66.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$66.3 €58.9

50.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$78.4 €69.7

56.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,442 €1,283

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$906 €806

32.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,964 €1,747

45.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,442 €1,283

38.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$7,912 €7,038

-4.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$4,158 €3,698

3.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,437 €1,279

10.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.79

1.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dubrovnik: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Dubrovnik

$906 45.8% 24.4% $291

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Dubrovnik

$235 11.9% 12.9% $35

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Dubrovnik

$324 16.4% 33.6% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Dubrovnik

$242 12.3% 10.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Dubrovnik

$110 5.6% 33.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Dubrovnik

$86 4.4% 31.1% $20

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Dubrovnik

$76 3.9% 21.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,442 in Dubrovnik. 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 10% 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 $61.0 in Lisbon versus $77.0 in Dubrovnik. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $235 in Dubrovnik – so Dubrovnik wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇭🇷 Dubrovnik

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

41,562

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Lisbon Dubrovnik 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Dubrovnik

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 Dubrovnik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon, $1,979 in Dubrovnik – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $2,969 in Dubrovnik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 23% less in Dubrovnik. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $90.6 in Dubrovnik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubrovnik, where all-in costs run around $1,979, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Dubrovnik it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,979 in Dubrovnik to $2,223 in Lisbon. 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 Dubrovnik. 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.