Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,472 in Leon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,100 in Leon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,728 in Leon.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 50% more expensive than Leon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Leon 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$15.86 €13.65

0.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$41.03 €35.29

57.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.02 €7.76

16.52%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.79 €1.54

60.34%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.39 €2.05

-6.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.71 €1.47

-12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.19 €2.75

9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.72 €3.20

4.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.12 €0.97

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.29 €1.11

35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.42 €1.22

23.94%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.25 €2.80

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.88 €10.22

13.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.66 €5.73

18.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.99 €12.90

5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.64 €2.27

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.68 €2.30

-36.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.64 €2.27

-23.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.50 €2.15

-1.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.12 €1.82

-13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.02 €1.74

-0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.11 €0.95

73.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.95 €0.82

-16.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.84 €5.02

13.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.34 €4.59

7.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.05 €0.91

30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.95 €1.67

52.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.36 €1.17

74.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$27.71 €23.83

64.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.16 €4.44

-16.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.06 €0.91

-22.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$44.49 €38.27

-58.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.79 €1.54

15.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.0K €27.5K

7.24%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.0K €26.7K

26.75%

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

$148 €127

$169 €146

-12.70%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.59 €16.85

4.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$30.93 €26.60

28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$31.28 €26.91

52.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$6.54 €5.62

189.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$8.62 €7.41

6.50%

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

$614 €528

$211 €182

190.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,870 €5,910

133.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$92.2 €79.4

13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$20.18 €17.36

108.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$75.7 €65.2

24.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$70.4 €60.5

70.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$985 €847

65.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$585 €504

114.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,016 €874

198.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$810 €697

149.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,123 €1,826

267.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,638 €1,409

160.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,839 €1,582

-12.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.83

-0.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Leon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $985 in Leon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leon pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $41.00 in Leon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $255 per month, with Leon 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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Leon differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,472 including rent). Leon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Leon earns 15% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $985 in Leon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Leon – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,472 in Leon – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,472 in Leon versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leon but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Leon 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 Leon 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 Leon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.