Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Isabela Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Isabela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,267 in Isabela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,971 in Isabela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,676 in Isabela.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 81% more expensive than in Isabela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Isabela is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$18.38 $18.38

-4.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$85.3 $85.3

-26.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$9.15 $9.15

26.56%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.72 $3.72

-16.67%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.84 $1.84

35.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.51 $1.51

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.94 $2.94

18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.87 $4.87

-29.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.87 $1.87

-38.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.92 $2.92

-34.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.20 $1.20

25.00%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.94 $2.94

35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$11.15 $11.15

19.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.64 $6.64

20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$13.52 $13.52

33.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$4.42 $4.42

-46.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.54 $2.54

-31.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$4.84 $4.84

-61.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.92 $4.92

-48.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$3.72 $3.72

-50.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.93 $3.93

-46.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$3.43 $3.43

-56.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.58 $1.58

-48.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$11.86 $11.86

-40.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$15.49 $15.49

-61.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$3.07 $3.07

-57.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.93 $3.93

-45.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.48 $2.48

64.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.46 $1.46

-21.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$42.07 $42.07

-59.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.83 $0.83

178.31%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$40.4K $40.4K

-15.59%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

47.13%

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

$169 €147

$319 $319

-47.24%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$69.0 $69.0

-71.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$69.2 $69.2

-51.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$10.64 $10.64

-10.06%

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

$696 €606

$829 $829

-16.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$12.3K $12.3K

40.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$56.4 $56.4

86.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$60.9 $60.9

-21.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$110 $110

-8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$116 $116

7.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.55

-42.29%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Isabela: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $85.0 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $359 per month, with Lisbon 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 Isabela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isabela wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isabela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,901 in Isabela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $829 in Isabela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isabela – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,267 in Isabela versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isabela but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Isabela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isabela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,267 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isabela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Isabela 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 Isabela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.