Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Faro

For one person, living is cheaper in Faro: $1,918 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Faro
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Faro Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Faro

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Faro

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,918 in Faro, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Faro $1,918

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,985 in Faro, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Faro $2,985

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $4,052 in Faro, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Faro $4,052

Lisbon costs about 15% more than Faro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Faro sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Faro by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.96

$13.23 €11.88

25.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$44.54 €40.02

38.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$11.06 €9.94

2.71%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$1.90 €1.71

56.32%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$2.34 €2.10

-2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.65 €1.49

5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$2.73 €2.46

24.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.53 €2.27

30.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.05 €0.94

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.46 €1.31

30.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.73 €1.56

-12.72%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$3.54 €3.18

13.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$13.56 €12.18

-4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.99

$6.08 €5.46

27.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.96

$11.50 €10.33

54.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.57 €2.31

-10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.26 €1.13

37.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.57 €1.41

18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$2.51 €2.26

3.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$3.17 €2.85

-42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.08 €1.87

-5.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.40 €1.26

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.11 €1.00

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.92

$6.35 €5.71

3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$5.05 €4.54

11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$0.96 €0.87

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.39 €3.05

-36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$3.20 €2.88

-27.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$36.94 €33.19

20.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$3.61 €3.24

6.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.14 €1.02

-6.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$21.12 €18.98

-22.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.12 €1.90

3.77%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$33.8K €30.4K

1.19%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$37.6K €33.8K

2.93%

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

$161 €145

$109 €98.2

47.57%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$19.54 €17.55

-5.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$34.75 €31.22

-5.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.03

$39.89 €35.84

11.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$20.90 €18.78

-8.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$11.33 €10.18

-15.27%

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

$668 €600

$465 €418

43.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$10.9K €9,830

61.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.7

$71.9 €64.6

41.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.95

$43.31 €38.91

2.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$107 €95.7

-7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$101 €90.3

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$1,301 €1,169

23.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$1,046 €940

13.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,527

$2,306 €2,072

21.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,809

$2,081 €1,870

-3.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,043

$5,162 €4,638

51.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,111

$3,630 €3,262

26.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$1,330 €1,195

18.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.57

7.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Faro: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Faro

$1K 54.5% 12.1% $144

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Faro

$245 12.8% 9.9% $27

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Faro

$197 10.3% 19% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Faro

$164 8.5% 23% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Faro

$145 7.6% 12.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Faro

$63 3.3% 1.9% $1.2

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Faro

$59 3.1% 6.5% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,301 in Faro. 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 18% higher in Lisbon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $45 in Faro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $245 – making Faro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Faro

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

67,650

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Faro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,877 in Faro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Faro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,301 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $465 in Faro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,918 in Faro, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Faro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Faro. 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.