Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Forbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,530 in Forbes, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Forbes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,530 in Forbes.

Lisbon $2,206
Forbes $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,647 in Forbes.

Lisbon $3,276
Forbes $3,647

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,764 in Forbes.

Lisbon $4,346
Forbes $4,764

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 13% less than in Forbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Forbes 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.02

$17.25 A$24.58

-2.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.4

$84.4 A$120

-27.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.78

$10.54 A$15.01

4.17%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$4.05 A$5.77

-24.69%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.90 A$4.13

-21.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.22 A$3.16

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$7.75 A$11.04

-55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$7.45 A$10.62

-47.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.52 A$2.17

-24.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.71 A$3.87

-30.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.24 A$3.19

-33.04%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.67

$5.06 A$7.21

-18.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.59

$9.58 A$13.65

35.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.17

$9.16 A$13.06

-12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.94

$14.47 A$20.62

23.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.69 A$5.26

-38.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$3.04 A$4.33

-42.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.28 A$4.67

-44.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$4.71 A$6.71

-42.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.77 A$3.94

-36.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.39 A$3.41

-18.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.33 A$3.32

-37.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.53 A$2.18

-50.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.93

$42.64 A$60.8

-84.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$14.23 A$20.28

-60.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$4.78 A$6.81

-73.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$5.21 A$7.43

-58.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.77 A$3.95

-16.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.21

$85.2 A$121

-48.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.56 A$5.08

11.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.63 A$2.32

-60.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.86

$40.80 A$58.2

-53.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.32 A$1.87

72.73%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$29.2K A$41.7K

14.13%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$26.1K A$37.2K

47.38%

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

$158 €141

$212 A$302

-25.36%

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

$17.54 €15.62

$27.83 A$39.66

-36.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.78

$57.0 A$81.2

-45.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.77

$56.1 A$79.9

-20.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.91

$17.97 A$25.60

5.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.53

$14.18 A$20.20

-32.44%

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

$674 €600

$2,134 A$3,040

-68.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$20.0K A$28.5K

-6.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$76.2 A$109

34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.89

$54.2 A$77.2

-15.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$106 A$152

-3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$123 A$175

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,461

$1,386 A$1,976

18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,058

$1,220 A$1,739

-2.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,516

$2,234 A$3,183

26.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,798

$1,836 A$2,616

9.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,980

$5,936 A$8,459

32.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,188

$4,932 A$7,028

-4.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,503

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

5.9

-35.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Forbes: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Forbes

$1.2K 48.2% 2.8% $33

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Forbes

$366 14.5% 33.5% $92

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Forbes

$292 11.6% 19.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Forbes

$297 11.7% 43.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Forbes

$162 6.4% 3.4% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Forbes

$84 3.3% 32.4% $21

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Forbes

$108 4.3% 78.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,386 in Forbes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $84 in Forbes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $366 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Forbes

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

06:03 6:03 AM

11 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

8,481

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Lisbon Forbes 17,880 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Lisbon vs Forbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,530 in Forbes, so Lisbon is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,309 in Lisbon and $3,795 in Forbes 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,386 in Forbes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $2,530 in Forbes – Lisbon is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 48% less than in Forbes. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Forbes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.