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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $715 in El Viejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,141 in El Viejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,567 in El Viejo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 220% more expensive than in El Viejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, El Viejo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$4.80 NIO 176

237.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$35.33 NIO 1,294

79.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.83 NIO 250

51.10%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.37 NIO 86.7

19.41%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.85 NIO 31.26

169.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.70 NIO 25.51

125.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.32 NIO 48.39

157.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.94 NIO 71.2

107.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.22 NIO 44.81

-10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.38 NIO 87.2

-26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.87 NIO 68.6

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.35 NIO 86.2

34.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$11.27 NIO 413

17.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.71 NIO 246

18.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.07 NIO 296

92.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.99 NIO 146

-40.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.85 NIO 31.24

101.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.85 NIO 67.6

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.25 NIO 82.4

8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.87 NIO 142

-54.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.22 NIO 81.4

-8.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.07 NIO 39.16

79.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.01 NIO 37.15

-15.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.59 NIO 95.0

154.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$14.58 NIO 534

-61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.41 NIO 51.5

-5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.24 NIO 82.1

32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.48 NIO 54.3

185.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.65 NIO 244

177.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.31 NIO 47.91

58.78%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$23.0K NIO 844.1K

50.42%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.3K NIO 961.9K

49.09%

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

$148 €130

$99.5 NIO 3,642

48.87%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$17.08 NIO 626

19.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$37.32 NIO 1,367

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.96 NIO 291

15.83%

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

$616 €539

$125 NIO 4,589

391.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,961 NIO 218.3K

175.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$76.4 NIO 2,798

34.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$71.7 NIO 2,625

-41.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$133 NIO 4,870

-28.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$106 NIO 3,884

15.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.25

-62.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for El Viejo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in El Viejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $261 per month, with El Viejo 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 Viejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Viejo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 220% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,073 in El Viejo 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.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $125 in El Viejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Viejo – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $715 in El Viejo versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Viejo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes El Viejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Viejo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and El Viejo 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 Viejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 220% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.