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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,187 in Formosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,967 in Formosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,747 in Formosa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 91% more expensive than in Formosa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Formosa is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.11

$15.52 ARS 23.5K

13.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$53.1 ARS 80.2K

21.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.03

$13.19 ARS 20.0K

-11.68%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.74 ARS 5,664

-12.83%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$2.13 ARS 3,221

16.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.66 ARS 2,508

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.72 ARS 5,619

-6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.75 ARS 5,678

-4.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.34 ARS 2,021

-11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.12 ARS 3,213

-8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.58 ARS 2,396

-1.27%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.39 ARS 3,620

67.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.43

$10.02 ARS 15.2K

32.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.25

$6.45 ARS 9,763

30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.70

$11.74 ARS 17.8K

55.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.35 ARS 3,554

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.24 ARS 3,395

-22.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.39 ARS 2,096

38.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.12 ARS 3,202

24.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.05 ARS 1,587

80.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.98 ARS 1,487

115.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.58 ARS 2,384

-8.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.73 ARS 2,618

-53.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$3.27 ARS 4,951

114.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.10

$5.10 ARS 7,717

16.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.07 ARS 3,125

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.82 ARS 4,261

-23.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.99 ARS 1,494

140.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.80

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.57 ARS 2,376

166.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.01 ARS 1,531

8.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.86

$7.28 ARS 11.0K

137.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.15 ARS 1,745

95.65%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.4K ARS 41.4M

26.00%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$33.9K ARS 51.3M

22.71%

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

$171 €147

$84.7 ARS 128.1K

101.77%

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

$19.01 €16.36

$16.82 ARS 25.4K

13.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.52

$27.20 ARS 41.1K

26.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.75

$29.86 ARS 45.2K

66.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.79

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.70

$8.43 ARS 12.7K

19.81%

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

$699 €602

$304 ARS 459.4K

130.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,251 ARS 6.4M

317.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$106 ARS 161.1K

-1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.30

$74.7 ARS 113.0K

-35.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.7

$118 ARS 178.7K

-13.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$126 ARS 190.9K

1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,430

$477 ARS 721.4K

248.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,058

$311 ARS 470.6K

294.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,510

$974 ARS 1.5M

199.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,742

$770 ARS 1.2M

162.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,999

$2,412 ARS 3.6M

237.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,991

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,394

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

56.56

-93.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Formosa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $477 in Formosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $53.0 in Formosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $248 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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,780 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $477 in Formosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $304 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 $53.0 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,187 in Formosa versus $2,268 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 91% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.