Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Guarda

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarda: $1,271 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Guarda
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Guarda Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Guarda

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,271

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Guarda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Guarda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,271 in Guarda, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Guarda $1,271

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,978 in Guarda, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Guarda $1,978

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,684 in Guarda, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Guarda $2,684

Lisbon costs about 74% more than Guarda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Guarda is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$13.05 €11.70

27.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$44.16 €39.57

39.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.33 €10.15

0.26%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$1.65 €1.48

80.00%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.92 €1.72

19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.70 €1.52

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.30 €2.06

47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.87 €3.47

-14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.02 €0.92

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.61 €1.44

18.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.53 €1.37

-1.31%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.66 €3.28

9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$11.06 €9.91

17.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$11.73 €10.51

-33.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$23.89 €21.41

-25.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.36 €2.11

-2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.69 €1.51

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.13 €1.91

-12.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.36 €2.11

9.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.31 €2.07

-21.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.30 €2.06

-14.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.98 €0.88

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.11 €0.99

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.91 €6.19

-4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$5.09 €4.56

10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.66 €1.48

-18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.45 €2.19

-12.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.70 €1.53

37.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.01 €4.49

-23.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$16.78 €15.04

-1.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$32.7K €29.3K

4.46%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$38.1K €34.2K

1.56%

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

$161 €144

$188 €169

-14.46%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$16.66 €14.93

10.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$51.2 €45.91

-36.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$56.8 €50.9

-21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$6.90 €6.18

39.13%

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

$668 €598

$428 €384

55.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$13.5K €12.1K

30.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$34.06 €30.52

199.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$21.99 €19.70

102.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$132 €118

-25.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$165 €148

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$395 €354

306.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$276 €248

330.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$723 €648

288.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$552 €495

264.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$1,366 €1,224

473.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.27

17.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Guarda: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Guarda

$276 21.8% 76.8% $914

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Guarda

$305 24% 12% $33

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Guarda

$192 15.1% 20.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Guarda

$256 20.2% 20.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Guarda

$159 12.5% 4.4% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Guarda

$71 5.6% 10.8% $6.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Guarda

$12 * 0.9% 81.3% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $395 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 $62 in Lisbon versus $44 in Guarda. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $305 in Guarda – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Guarda

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

40,126

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Guarda 260 km

From you

Lisbon
Guarda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 74% more than Guarda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,906 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $395 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,271 in Guarda. That makes Guarda about 43% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $428 in Guarda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,271 in Guarda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Guarda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.