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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $955 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,592 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,228 in El Calafate.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 140% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, El Calafate is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

90.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.22 ARS 13.6K

11.93%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.76 ARS 4,085

2.54%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.72 ARS 2,547

33.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.55 ARS 2,296

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.15 ARS 3,173

58.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.01 ARS 4,454

33.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.27 ARS 1,874

-14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.57 ARS 2,319

11.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.02 ARS 2,980

-12.87%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.19 ARS 3,235

44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$10.19 ARS 15.1K

29.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.19 ARS 9,148

28.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$9.36 ARS 13.8K

65.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.00 ARS 2,957

18.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.16 ARS 3,193

-20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.31 ARS 1,929

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.54 ARS 3,753

-4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.15 ARS 1,697

53.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.19 ARS 1,753

70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.32 ARS 1,958

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.49 ARS 2,203

-42.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.15 ARS 4,662

108.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.11 ARS 7,549

9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.98 ARS 2,924

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.02 ARS 4,466

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.76 ARS 1,129

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.47 ARS 2,170

187.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.87 ARS 1,281

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.02 ARS 8,894

206.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.06 ARS 1,566

96.23%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

24.38%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$30.5K ARS 45.1M

28.24%

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

$148 €130

$66.0 ARS 97.5K

124.45%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$17.47 ARS 25.8K

17.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$22.11 ARS 32.7K

78.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$26.57 ARS 39.3K

80.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$13.87 ARS 20.5K

34.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.22 ARS 9,195

48.23%

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

$616 €539

$216 ARS 319.0K

185.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,690 ARS 4.0M

511.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$73.5 ARS 108.6K

39.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$69.4 ARS 102.6K

-39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$114 ARS 167.9K

-16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$110 ARS 163.0K

10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$340 ARS 502.4K

380.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$236 ARS 348.8K

422.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$694 ARS 1.0M

346.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$533 ARS 787.1K

281.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,872 ARS 2.8M

318.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

175.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

58.5

-93.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $340 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 $267 vs $231 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 140% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $955 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,433 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $340 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 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 $955 in El Calafate versus $2,291 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 140% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.