Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ljubljana

For one person, living is cheaper in Ljubljana: $2,104 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Ljubljana
🇸🇮 Slovenia
$2,104
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ljubljana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,104 in Ljubljana.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Ljubljana $2,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,149 in Ljubljana.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Ljubljana $3,149

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,194 in Ljubljana.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Ljubljana $4,194

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ljubljana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Ljubljana 55% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$15.86 €14.25
4.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$66.3 €59.6
-6.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$11.33 €10.18
0.26%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.85 €2.56
4.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$3.07 €2.76
-25.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.89 €1.70
-7.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$3.83 €3.44
-11.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.37 €3.93
-24.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.32 €1.19
-12.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.20 €1.98
-13.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$3.09 €2.77
-51.13%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$3.92 €3.52
2.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$14.57 €13.09
-11.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$9.67 €8.69
-19.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$14.54 €13.06
22.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$2.25 €2.02
2.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.73 €1.56
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.31 €2.08
-19.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$3.45 €3.10
-24.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.49 €1.34
22.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.56 €1.40
26.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.72 €1.54
-14.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.85 €0.76
-15.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$6.11 €5.49
7.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$7.66 €6.88
-26.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.39 €1.25
-2.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.18 €1.96
-1.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.69 €1.52
37.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$41.77 €37.52
6.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$2.22 €1.99
73.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.25 €1.12
-14.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$18.81 €16.89
-12.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.80 €1.62
22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$29.4K €26.4K
16.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$24.7K €22.1K
57.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$289 €259
-44.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$15.95 €14.33
15.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$38.66 €34.73
-15.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$51.3 €46.08
-13.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$24.20 €21.74
-21.07%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$10.25 €9.21
-6.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$643 €578
3.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$13.7K €12.3K
28.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$113 €101
-9.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$43.11 €38.72
3.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$110 €98.6
-10.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$143 €128
-13.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,149 €1,032
40.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$907 €815
31.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,366 €2,126
18.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$1,623 €1,458
24.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$6,815 €6,122
15.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$5,052 €4,538
-9.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ljubljana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$1,940 €1,742
-18.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.52
9.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ljubljana: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Ljubljana
$907 23.8% $283
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Ljubljana
$298 9.6% $26
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Ljubljana
$243 0.1% $0.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Ljubljana
$343 61.7% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Ljubljana
$184 10.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Ljubljana
$72 12.6% $8.1
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Ljubljana
$57 9.8% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,149 in Ljubljana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 23% 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 $66 in Ljubljana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $298 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇸🇮 Ljubljana
🕒 Local time
20:48 8:48 PM
21:48 9:48 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
285,604 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Ljubljana 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Ljubljana

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 Ljubljana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Ljubljana?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,104 in Ljubljana, so Ljubljana is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 19% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Ljubljana?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,149 in Ljubljana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Ljubljana?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $643 in Ljubljana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $2,500 go in Lisbon compared to Ljubljana?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Ljubljana gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Ljubljana?
For families, Ljubljana is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Is Lisbon or Ljubljana safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ljubljana are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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