Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Formosa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Formosa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $968 in Formosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,567 in Formosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,166 in Formosa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 137% more expensive than in Formosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Formosa is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$10.62 ARS 15.7K

52.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$34.12 ARS 50.4K

85.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.97 ARS 13.3K

15.05%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.76 ARS 4,076

2.54%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.65 ARS 2,437

38.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.55 ARS 2,296

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.06 ARS 3,047

65.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.06 ARS 4,520

31.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.26 ARS 1,861

-13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.56 ARS 2,303

12.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.97 ARS 2,910

-10.66%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.24 ARS 3,313

41.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$10.24 ARS 15.1K

28.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.11 ARS 9,026

30.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$9.63 ARS 14.2K

61.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.03 ARS 3,000

16.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.05 ARS 3,030

-16.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.26 ARS 1,856

59.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.63 ARS 3,881

-7.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.17 ARS 1,735

50.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.19 ARS 1,765

70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.31 ARS 1,938

46.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.47 ARS 2,175

-42.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.17 ARS 4,688

107.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.54 ARS 8,185

0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.05 ARS 3,031

-35.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.15 ARS 4,658

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.77 ARS 1,136

196.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.54 ARS 2,277

174.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.87 ARS 1,291

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$5.84 ARS 8,639

215.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.10 ARS 1,630

89.09%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$27.4K ARS 40.4M

26.68%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$30.1K ARS 44.4M

30.25%

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

$148 €130

$67.9 ARS 100.3K

118.07%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$16.82 ARS 24.9K

21.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$22.35 ARS 33.0K

77.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$26.31 ARS 38.9K

82.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$13.65 ARS 20.2K

36.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.34 ARS 9,369

45.43%

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

$616 €539

$223 ARS 329.5K

176.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,679 ARS 4.0M

513.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$74.3 ARS 109.8K

38.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$68.5 ARS 101.3K

-39.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$116 ARS 171.0K

-18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$113 ARS 166.4K

8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$335 ARS 494.6K

387.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$240 ARS 354.7K

413.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$694 ARS 1.0M

346.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$532 ARS 785.6K

282.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,366 ARS 3.5M

230.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,578 ARS 2.3M

178.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

58.5

-93.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Formosa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $335 in Formosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Formosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $232 per month, with Formosa 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 Formosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Formosa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,452 in Formosa 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $335 in Formosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $223 in Formosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Formosa – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $968 in Formosa versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Formosa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Formosa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Formosa 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 Formosa 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 Formosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.