Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Imperia

For one person, living is cheaper in Imperia: $1,688 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Imperia, Italy
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Imperia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,688
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Imperia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,688 in Imperia.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Imperia $1,688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,530 in Imperia.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Imperia $2,530

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,373 in Imperia.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Imperia $3,373

Living in Lisbon is roughly 31% more expensive than in Imperia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Imperia 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$13.23 €11.85
25.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$60.7 €54.4
1.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$11.33 €10.15
0.26%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$1.69 €1.51
75.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$3.54 €3.17
-35.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.42 €1.28
22.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$5.74 €5.14
-40.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$5.30 €4.74
-37.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.69 €1.52
-31.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.01 €1.80
-4.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$3.52 €3.15
-57.10%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.05 €3.63
-0.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$12.26 €10.98
5.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$12.49 €11.19
-37.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$22.27 €19.94
-20.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.42 €2.16
-4.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.39 €2.14
-27.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.22 €2.89
-42.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$4.13 €3.70
-37.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.39 €2.14
-23.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.72 €1.54
14.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.22 €1.09
20.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.56 €0.50
28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$7.14 €6.40
-7.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$4.76 €4.27
17.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.10 €0.99
23.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.52 €2.26
-15.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$1.87 €1.67
24.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$56.8 €50.8
-21.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$7.69 €6.89
-49.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.20 €1.97
-51.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$65.0 €58.2
-74.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.12 €1.90
3.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$36.6K €32.8K
-6.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$38.0K €34.1K
1.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$134 €120
20.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$10.05 €9.00
83.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$29.13 €26.08
12.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$69.0 €61.8
-35.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$24.78 €22.19
-22.92%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$11.00 €9.86
-12.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$951 €852
-29.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$18.4K €16.5K
-4.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$87.9 €78.7
16.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$39.86 €35.69
11.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$107 €96.2
-8.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$127 €114
-2.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$796 €713
102.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$623 €558
91.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$1,689 €1,512
66.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$910 €815
121.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$2,761 €2,473
183.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$2,044 €1,831
123.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Imperia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$1,801 €1,613
-12.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.18
21.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Imperia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Imperia
$623 47.7% $567
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Imperia
$336 23.3% $63
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Imperia
$219 9.6% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Imperia
$173 18.7% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Imperia
$163 1.7% $2.9
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Imperia
$91 42.8% $27
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Imperia
$83 31.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $796 in Imperia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Imperia pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $61 in Imperia. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $336, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇹 Imperia
🕒 Local time
06:07 6:07 AM
07:07 7:07 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
41,999
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Imperia 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Imperia

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 Imperia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Imperia cheaper than Lisbon?
Imperia is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lisbon or Imperia?
On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Lisbon and Imperia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $796 in Imperia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Imperia?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Imperia?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,688 in Imperia – Imperia is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,500 enough for either Lisbon or Imperia?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Imperia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Imperia?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Imperia?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Imperia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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