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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,091 in George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,739 in George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,387 in George.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than George, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, George is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$11.23 R 182

41.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$37.15 R 601

70.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.06 R 81.8

105.14%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.00 R 32.26

39.50%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.58 R 25.59

48.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.19 R 19.30

31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.57 R 41.60

33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.00 R 48.54

30.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.10 R 17.86

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.10 R 17.71

60.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.61 R 26.00

6.21%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.89 R 46.74

9.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$9.36 R 151

46.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.69 R 75.8

70.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$7.66 R 124

102.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.85 R 29.96

23.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.62 R 26.12

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.42 R 23.03

36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.59 R 25.78

57.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.53 R 24.76

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.75 R 28.25

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.29 R 20.78

52.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.89 R 14.34

-5.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.10 R 50.2

119.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$4.88 R 78.9

16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.16 R 18.80

19.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.61 R 26.10

87.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.75 R 12.19

202.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$25.98 R 420

74.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.13 R 18.28

279.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.88 R 14.29

-3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$4.01 R 64.8

355.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.23 R 19.92

61.79%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$20.9K R 338.7K

67.23%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$20.9K R 338.1K

89.11%

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

$146 €126

$125 R 2,021

16.91%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$16.46 R 266

24.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$51.1 R 826

-23.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$27.01 R 437

81.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$11.08 R 179

69.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.51 R 89.2

72.78%

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

$608 €524

$127 R 2,046

380.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,753 R 76.8K

247.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$73.3 R 1,185

41.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$32.53 R 526

29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$99.0 R 1,600

-6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$88.8 R 1,436

35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$391 R 6,317

315.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$333 R 5,381

280.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$723 R 11.7K

321.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$812 R 13.1K

147.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$375 R 6,059

1944.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$248 R 4,013

1643.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,346 R 21.8K

17.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.88

-64.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for George: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $391 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 18% 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 $37.00 in George for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $190 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 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 18% 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 $391 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 $37.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,091 in George – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,091 in George versus $2,263 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 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.