Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Garliava Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Garliava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,327 in Garliava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,033 in Garliava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,738 in Garliava.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than Garliava, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Garliava is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$11.79 €10.22

35.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$64.0 €55.4

-0.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$6.90 €5.98

50.43%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$3.16 €2.74

-11.71%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.21 €1.92

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.77 €1.54

-11.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$5.32 €4.61

-35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$4.32 €3.74

-9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.40 €1.21

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.85 €1.60

-4.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.26 €1.96

-24.34%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.85 €2.47

10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$10.86 €9.41

25.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$7.67 €6.65

4.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$10.61 €9.19

46.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.35 €1.17

69.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.60 €1.39

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.20 €1.91

-11.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$3.38 €2.93

-25.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.76 €0.66

135.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.93 €0.80

116.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.73 €1.50

13.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.80 €0.70

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$5.64 €4.89

20.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$10.15 €8.79

-44.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.65 €1.43

-15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.80 €1.56

67.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.19 €1.03

90.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$32.96 €28.57

37.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$2.91 €2.52

47.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.02 €0.88

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$9.09 €7.88

101.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.62 €1.41

22.84%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$39.3K €34.1K

-10.88%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$29.3K €25.4K

35.16%

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

$146 €127

$211 €183

-30.60%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$15.82 €13.71

29.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$14.81 €12.84

163.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$42.83 €37.13

14.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$22.97 €19.91

-18.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$9.02 €7.81

5.54%

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

$608 €527

$461 €400

31.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$7,805 €6,765

111.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$83.4 €72.3

24.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$43.60 €37.79

-3.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$84.4 €73.1

9.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$114 €98.5

5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$533 €462

204.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$365 €316

247.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$818 €709

272.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$647 €561

210.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$3,092 €2,680

147.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$1,776 €1,539

143.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$1,394 €1,208

13.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.13

-7.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Garliava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $533 in Garliava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Garliava. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $251, with Garliava cheaper for home cooking.

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 Garliava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garliava is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 14% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $533 in Garliava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Garliava runs roughly 38% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $461 in Garliava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,327 in Garliava versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Garliava but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Garliava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Garliava 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 Garliava 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 Garliava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.