Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Guarda Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Guarda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,227 per month in Lisbon vs $1,571 in Guarda, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,305 per month in Lisbon vs $2,321 in Guarda, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,384 per month in Lisbon vs $3,072 in Guarda, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 42% more than Guarda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Guarda sit above the global median – Lisbon by 66%, Guarda by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$10.31 €8.83

56.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$58.8 €50.3

9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$9.18 €7.86

13.07%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.98 €1.69

39.90%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.86 €1.59

20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.12 €0.96

40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$3.16 €2.70

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.40 €2.91

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.02 €0.88

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.54 €1.31

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.58 €1.35

10.13%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.19 €2.73

-0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$9.98 €8.54

34.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$8.20 €7.02

-2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$13.54 €11.59

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.08 €1.78

9.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.38 €1.18

24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.81 €1.55

7.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.96 €2.53

-14.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.73 €1.48

5.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.90 €1.63

7.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.22 €1.04

62.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.93 €0.79

-8.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$6.61 €5.66

3.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.65 €3.98

24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.26 €1.08

8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.21 €1.89

31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.32 €1.99

-1.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$42.89 €36.71

9.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$4.26 €3.65

-4.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.65 €1.42

-50.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$17.19 €14.72

6.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.92 €1.64

4.69%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$36.8K €31.5K

-4.15%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$39.8K €34.1K

-3.32%

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

$145 €124

$138 €118

5.21%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$17.05 €14.60

22.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$46.08 €39.44

-13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$44.36 €37.97

9.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$7.10 €6.08

27.61%

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

$607 €519

$350 €300

73.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$10.4K €8,937

56.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$34.17 €29.25

206.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$37.87 €32.42

8.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$86.0 €73.7

8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$99.4 €85.1

19.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$937 €802

71.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$729 €624

69.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,443 €1,235

111.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,170 €1,002

75.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,059 €2,619

151.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$2,358 €2,019

80.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.15

-26.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Guarda: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Lisbon versus $937 in Guarda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon versus $59.0 in Guarda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $242 – making Guarda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Guarda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 42% more than Guarda, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,341 per month in Lisbon and $2,357 in Guarda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon and $59.0 in Guarda. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,227 in Lisbon and $1,571 in Guarda. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarda, where all-in costs run around $1,571, than in Lisbon at $2,227. In Guarda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarda costs $1,571 versus $2,227 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Guarda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.