Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fajardo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fajardo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,888 in Fajardo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,131 in Fajardo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $4,374 in Fajardo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than Fajardo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Fajardo 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.95 $9.95

60.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$81.1 $81.1

-21.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.73 $9.73

6.68%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.63 $3.63

-23.14%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.73 $1.73

35.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.43 $1.43

9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.96 $2.96

15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.54 $4.54

-13.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.47 $2.47

-56.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$3.10 $3.10

-42.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.23 $2.23

-23.32%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$5.82 $5.82

-45.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$5.10 $5.10

168.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$8.62 $8.62

-7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$12.60 $12.60

23.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$5.99 $5.99

-61.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.75 $2.75

-40.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$4.00 $4.00

-51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$4.08 $4.08

-38.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$3.96 $3.96

-54.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.90 $2.90

-30.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.02 $3.02

-34.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.96 $1.96

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$11.62 $11.62

-41.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$10.21 $10.21

-44.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.56 $2.56

-45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$3.28 $3.28

-7.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.48 $1.48

-42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$15.11 $15.11

20.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.94 $0.94

111.70%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-2.69%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$26.4K $26.4K

49.60%

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

$146 €126

$350 $350

-58.20%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$79.5 $79.5

-74.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$68.9 $68.9

-43.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$101 $101

-51.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$11.94 $11.94

-20.27%

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

$608 €524

$466 $466

30.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$10.4K $10.4K

59.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$45.77 $45.77

126.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$57.2 $57.2

-26.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$91.2 $91.2

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$108 $108

11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$713 $713

127.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$610 $610

107.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,626 $1,626

87.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,587 $1,587

26.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.5

-30.73%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Fajardo: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $713 in Fajardo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Fajardo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $360 per month, with Lisbon 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 Fajardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fajardo wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fajardo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $2,832 in Fajardo 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $713 in Fajardo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,888 in Fajardo – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,888 in Fajardo versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fajardo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Fajardo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fajardo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,888 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fajardo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Fajardo 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 Fajardo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.