Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fontainebleau

For one person, living is cheaper in Fontainebleau: $1,897 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Fontainebleau, France
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Fontainebleau
🇫🇷 France
$1,897
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Fontainebleau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,897 in Fontainebleau.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Fontainebleau $1,897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,005 in Fontainebleau.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Fontainebleau $3,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,112 in Fontainebleau.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Fontainebleau $4,112

Living in Lisbon is roughly 17% more expensive than in Fontainebleau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Fontainebleau 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$16.90 €15.14
-1.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$61.2 €54.8
0.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$13.67 €12.25
-16.90%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$3.87 €3.46
-23.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$3.19 €2.86
-28.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.67 €1.49
4.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$8.04 €7.20
-57.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.73 €5.13
-42.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.26 €1.13
-7.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.91 €1.71
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.94 €2.64
-48.64%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.23 €3.79
-4.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$21.21 €19.01
-38.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$12.26 €10.98
-36.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$23.39 €20.96
-24.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.49 €3.13
-34.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.19 €1.96
-21.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.29 €2.05
-18.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$3.06 €2.74
-15.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.83 €1.64
-0.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.99 €1.79
-1.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.53 €1.37
-3.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.64 €0.57
12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$14.00 €12.54
-53.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$7.98 €7.16
-29.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.43 €2.18
-44.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$4.14 €3.71
-48.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.29 €2.05
1.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$83.8 €75.1
-46.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$2.17 €1.95
77.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.16 €1.94
-50.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$23.72 €21.25
-30.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.14 €1.92
2.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$34.9K €31.3K
-2.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$37.8K €33.8K
2.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$208 €186
-22.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$15.07 €13.51
22.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$30.33 €27.18
7.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$22.14 €19.84
101.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$13.32 €11.93
43.39%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$11.06 €9.91
-13.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$632 €566
5.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$4,955 €4,440
255.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$85.9 €77.0
18.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$41.00 €36.74
8.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$99.9 €89.5
-1.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$103 €92.6
19.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$925 €829
73.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$681 €610
74.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,817 €1,629
54.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,434 €1,285
40.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$6,354 €5,694
23.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,987 €3,573
14.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Fontainebleau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$2,958 €2,651
-46.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.5
10.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Fontainebleau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Fontainebleau
$681 42.8% $509
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Fontainebleau
$370 35.9% $98
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Fontainebleau
$294 21% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Fontainebleau
$253 19.3% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Fontainebleau
$149 10.5% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Fontainebleau
$44 30.6% $19
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Fontainebleau
$106 67.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $925 in Fontainebleau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fontainebleau pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $61 in Fontainebleau. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $370, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇫🇷 Fontainebleau
🕒 Local time
05:33 5:33 AM
06:33 6:33 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
15,945
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Fontainebleau 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Fontainebleau

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Fontainebleau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Fontainebleau?
Fontainebleau wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fontainebleau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Fontainebleau?
On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Fontainebleau?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $925 in Fontainebleau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisbon or in Fontainebleau?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Fontainebleau?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,897 in Fontainebleau – Fontainebleau is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisbon or Fontainebleau?
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.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Fontainebleau?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Fontainebleau are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?