Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $670 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Manta, Ecuador
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Manta
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$670
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Manta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $670 in Manta.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Manta $670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,152 in Manta.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Manta $1,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,634 in Manta.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Manta $1,634

Living in Lisbon is roughly 230% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Manta is 51% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$3.04 $3.04
447.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$51.9 $51.9
18.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$5.18 $5.18
119.31%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$2.81 $2.81
5.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.48 $0.48
377.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.42 $0.42
314.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$2.92 $2.92
16.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.86 $3.86
-14.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$0.98 $0.98
18.37%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.00 $2.00
-4.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.98 $0.98
54.08%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$2.11 $2.11
90.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$3.08 $3.08
320.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$3.07 $3.07
153.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$6.88 $6.88
158.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$0.97 $0.97
137.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$0.72 $0.72
140.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.73 $0.73
154.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$0.77 $0.77
236.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$0.49 $0.49
271.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.49 $0.49
302.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.65 $0.65
126.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.02 $1.02
-29.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$4.02 $4.02
63.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$6.81 $6.81
-17.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.01 $1.01
34.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.22 $2.22
-3.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.50 $0.50
366.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$1.79 $1.79
115.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.77 $1.77
-39.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$9.28 $9.28
77.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.74 $0.74
197.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$22.7K $22.7K
50.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$30.5K $30.5K
27.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$93.6 $93.6
72.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$11.20 $11.20
64.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$26.03 $26.03
25.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$19.90 $19.90
123.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$35.50 $35.50
-46.20%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$5.10 $5.10
88.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$370 $370
80.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$5,708 $5,708
208.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$55.4 $55.4
84.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$39.90 $39.90
11.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$99.3 $99.3
-0.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$62.1 $62.1
99.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$306 $306
426.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$137 $137
765.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$916 $916
206.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$337 $337
496.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Manta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$478 $478
229.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
10.05
-61.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Manta
$137 88.4% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Manta
$144 47.2% $129
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Manta
$100 59% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Manta
$131 38.4% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Manta
$116 30.4% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Manta
$30 52.8% $34
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Manta
$13 * 80.1% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $306 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 3.3 times 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $52 in Manta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $144 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇨 Manta
🕒 Local time
06:07 6:07 AM
01:07 1:07 AM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
217,553
💱 Currency
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).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Manta 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Manta?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $670 in Manta, so Manta is about 70% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Manta?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 3.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Manta?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $306 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Manta?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $670 in Manta – Manta is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $670 in Manta versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Manta?
For families, Manta 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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Manta?
It comes down to priorities – Manta wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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