Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and El Calafate Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and El Calafate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $969 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,588 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,207 in El Calafate.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 139% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, El Calafate is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$10.49 ARS 15.8K

64.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$33.47 ARS 50.5K

89.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.23 ARS 13.9K

23.40%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.78 ARS 4,186

14.75%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.64 ARS 2,472

49.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.56 ARS 2,360

12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.07 ARS 3,127

73.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.93 ARS 4,415

15.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.30 ARS 1,957

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.57 ARS 2,361

26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.02 ARS 3,045

-24.75%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.27 ARS 3,421

77.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$9.96 ARS 15.0K

35.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.38 ARS 9,627

31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$9.11 ARS 13.7K

100.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.95 ARS 2,948

17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.05 ARS 3,087

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.26 ARS 1,894

47.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.57 ARS 3,876

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.19 ARS 1,798

61.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.20 ARS 1,816

74.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.32 ARS 1,995

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.44 ARS 2,167

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.10 ARS 4,671

118.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.01 ARS 7,564

13.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.01 ARS 3,028

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.06 ARS 4,611

-27.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.78 ARS 1,176

207.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.47 ARS 2,223

183.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.92 ARS 1,390

23.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$5.90 ARS 8,904

199.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.07 ARS 1,609

116.82%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$27.3K ARS 41.2M

29.29%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$30.3K ARS 45.7M

36.69%

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

$170 €146

$65.8 ARS 99.2K

158.90%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$17.07 ARS 25.7K

13.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$22.38 ARS 33.8K

50.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$26.00 ARS 39.2K

85.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$13.99 ARS 21.1K

42.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.21 ARS 9,373

59.74%

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

$717 €617

$216 ARS 325.3K

232.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,691 ARS 4.1M

549.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$73.0 ARS 110.1K

43.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$69.3 ARS 104.5K

-32.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$113 ARS 171.1K

-8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$112 ARS 169.6K

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$331 ARS 499.4K

406.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$233 ARS 351.0K

446.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$672 ARS 1.0M

344.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$540 ARS 814.1K

269.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,870 ARS 2.8M

318.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,596 ARS 2.4M

191.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

58.5

-93.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $331 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $230 per month, with El Calafate cheaper across the board.

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 El Calafate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and El Calafate differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $969 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $1,453 in El Calafate to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $331 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $216 in El Calafate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 in El Calafate versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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 El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.