Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Horta

For one person, living is cheaper in Horta: $1,211 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Horta
Learn more

Horta Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Horta

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Horta

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 Horta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,211 in Horta, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Horta $1,211

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,810 in Horta, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Horta $1,810

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,409 in Horta, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Horta $2,409

Lisbon costs about 83% more than Horta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Horta is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$8.00 €7.19

108.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$31.33 €28.15

97.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$8.58 €7.71

32.40%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$2.25 €2.02

32.00%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$1.99 €1.78

15.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.46 €1.31

19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$2.76 €2.48

23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.28 €2.95

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.04 €0.94

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.47 €1.32

29.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.59 €1.43

-5.03%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.13 €3.71

-2.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$10.78 €9.69

20.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$7.37 €6.62

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$14.39 €12.93

23.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.47 €2.22

-6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.35 €1.21

28.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.84 €1.65

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$2.26 €2.03

14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$1.81 €1.62

0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.55 €1.39

-5.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.80 €0.72

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$5.43 €4.88

21.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$5.52 €4.96

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.24 €1.11

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.13 €1.91

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$2.02 €1.82

15.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$42.23 €37.93

5.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$3.39 €3.05

13.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.19 €1.06

-10.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$14.62 €13.13

12.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.10 €1.88

4.76%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$36.9K €33.2K

-7.46%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$43.3K €38.9K

-10.61%

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

$161 €145

$120 €108

34.65%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$20.28 €18.21

-9.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$49.57 €44.53

-33.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$48.22 €43.32

-7.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$15.07 €13.54

26.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$5.04 €4.53

90.48%

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

$668 €600

$476 €428

40.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$9,662 €8,680

82.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$76.9 €69.1

32.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$23.57 €21.17

88.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$52.8 €47.42

86.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$102 €91.5

21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$497 €447

223.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$392 €352

203.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$738 €663

280.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$651 €585

209.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$3,101 €2,786

152.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$2,314 €2,078

97.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$968 €870

62.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.67

4.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Horta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Horta

$392 32.3% 67.1% $798

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Horta

$246 20.3% 9.6% $26

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Horta

$151 12.5% 37.8% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Horta

$190 15.7% 10.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Horta

$115 9.5% 30.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Horta

$58 4.8% 8.5% $5.4

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Horta

$60 4.9% 5.6% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $497 in Horta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 63% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $31 in Horta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $246 – making Horta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Horta

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

14:43 2:43 PM

1 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

14,334

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Horta 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Horta

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 Horta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $1,211 in Horta – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,816 in Horta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Horta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $497 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Horta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $476 in Horta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Horta, where all-in costs run around $1,211, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Horta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Horta. 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.