Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lagos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lagos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,066 in Lagos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,153 in Lagos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,241 in Lagos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lagos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Lagos 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$16.01 €14.01

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$51.4 €45.00

23.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.25 €7.22

25.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.30 €2.02

23.04%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.30 €2.02

-0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.67 €1.46

-5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.94 €3.45

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.15 €2.75

27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.12 €0.98

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.62 €1.42

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.19 €1.91

-19.63%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.41 €2.98

-7.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$12.22 €10.69

7.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.35 €6.43

8.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.49 €10.05

35.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.87 €2.51

-17.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.51 €1.32

13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.46 €1.28

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.79 €2.44

-12.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.21 €1.94

-20.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.24 €1.96

-9.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.61 €1.41

19.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.81 €0.71

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.18 €5.41

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.67 €5.84

-16.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.49 €1.30

-10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.50 €2.19

18.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.27 €1.99

0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$42.19 €36.92

8.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.39 €2.97

24.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.86 €0.75

-5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$17.64 €15.43

4.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.97 €1.72

5.58%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$35.4K €30.9K

-1.95%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$39.6K €34.6K

-1.02%

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

$148 €130

$117 €102

26.44%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$21.92 €19.18

-6.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$44.29 €38.75

-10.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$56.7 €49.63

-15.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$28.64 €25.06

-35.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.49 €5.68

42.06%

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

$616 €539

$561 €491

9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,329 €6,413

124.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$53.3 €46.66

92.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$24.10 €21.08

73.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$71.3 €62.4

32.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$69.9 €61.2

74.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$1,207 €1,056

35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$1,163 €1,017

5.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$2,019 €1,766

53.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$2,200 €1,925

-7.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,992 €3,492

96.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$4,984 €4,360

-11.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,264 €1,106

27.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.01

-23.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lagos: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,207 in Lagos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Lagos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $254 per month, with Lagos 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 Lagos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Lagos differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,066 including rent). Lagos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,207 in Lagos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lagos – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,066 in Lagos versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lagos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lagos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lagos 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 Lagos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.