Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and George Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and George

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Lisbon versus $1,126 in George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Lisbon versus $1,847 in George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,443 in Lisbon versus $2,567 in George.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 108% more expensive than in George, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 73% above, George is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 €14.99

$10.87 R 178

59.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €55.1

$42.67 R 699

49.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.17

$4.88 R 79.9

140.57%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.75

$2.16 R 35.41

46.76%

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

$2.45 €2.12

$1.03 R 16.85

137.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.43

$0.77 R 12.63

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €3.01

$2.66 R 43.57

30.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.07

$3.24 R 53.1

9.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.18 R 19.31

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.04 R 17.08

94.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.45 R 23.83

5.52%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.46

$2.79 R 45.72

43.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 €11.24

$8.58 R 141

51.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 €7.32

$5.46 R 89.5

54.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.11 €14.83

$6.53 R 107

162.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.68 R 27.60

35.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.46 R 24.00

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.50 R 24.54

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$1.69 R 27.67

50.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.66 R 27.20

15.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.38 R 22.67

40.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.26 R 20.59

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.04 R 16.99

-18.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 €5.98

$3.18 R 52.1

116.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 €5.14

$4.91 R 80.5

20.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.29 R 21.08

6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.91

$1.73 R 28.35

27.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.44 R 23.64

56.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.02 €39.90

$27.78 R 455

65.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.57

$0.59 R 9.71

598.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.96

$0.47 R 7.67

136.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.54 €15.21

$8.40 R 138

108.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.91

$1.23 R 20.19

78.86%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$30.7K R 502.6K

14.24%

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

$40.9K €35.5K

$29.7K R 486.2K

37.82%

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

$169 €146

$124 R 2,031

36.24%

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

$19.22 €16.66

$17.62 R 289

9.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.16

$46.04 R 754

-26.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.93 €42.42

$29.74 R 487

64.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 €17.00

$12.28 R 201

59.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 €8.71

$5.91 R 96.8

69.88%

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

$699 €606

$135 R 2,204

419.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K €15.3K

$5,204 R 85.3K

239.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.7

$71.5 R 1,171

52.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 €39.91

$40.50 R 663

13.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.7

$110 R 1,809

-3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$84.3 R 1,380

55.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 €1,485

$421 R 6,903

306.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 €1,094

$365 R 5,980

245.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,527

$771 R 12.6K

277.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 €1,798

$950 R 15.6K

118.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,789 €6,753

$871 R 14.3K

794.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 €3,761

$637 R 10.4K

581.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,645 €1,426

$1,330 R 21.8K

23.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

10.92

-65.93%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 1, 2026

Last update for George: August 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Lisbon and $421 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 24% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in George for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $188 per month, with George 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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,713 in Lisbon versus $421 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,340 per month in Lisbon versus $1,126 in George – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,126 in George versus $2,340 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George 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 George 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 George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.