Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nice

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Nice: $2,223 and $2,201 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Nice
🇫🇷 France
$2,201
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Nice

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,201 in Nice.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Nice $2,201

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $3,529 in Nice.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Nice $3,529

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $4,857 in Nice.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Nice $4,857

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1% more expensive than in Nice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Nice 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$20.28 €18.04
-18.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$88.6 €78.8
-30.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$13.20 €11.74
-14.62%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$3.62 €3.22
-15.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.55 €3.16
-36.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.39 €2.12
-27.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$7.97 €7.09
-57.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$7.98 €7.10
-57.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.64 €1.46
-31.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.21 €1.96
-15.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.73 €2.43
-43.96%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$4.84 €4.31
-18.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$20.93 €18.62
-39.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$16.74 €14.89
-52.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$23.14 €20.58
-26.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$4.36 €3.88
-47.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.51 €2.23
-30.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$3.03 €2.69
-38.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$3.91 €3.47
-34.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.76 €2.45
-32.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.60 €2.31
-22.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.70 €1.52
-15.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.83 €0.74
-1.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$13.57 €12.07
-51.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$9.10 €8.09
-38.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$3.58 €3.18
-64.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.91 €3.48
-47.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$1.88 €1.67
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$49.67 €44.18
-11.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$3.30 €2.93
20.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.27 €2.02
-51.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$29.06 €25.85
-42.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.16 €1.92
5.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$34.4K €30.6K
-2.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$35.1K €31.2K
12.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$228 €203
-26.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$16.38 €14.57
14.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$33.13 €29.47
-0.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$32.09 €28.55
43.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$34.41 €30.61
-44.23%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$15.42 €13.71
-36.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$1,535 €1,365
-55.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$17.0K €15.1K
-0.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$110 €98.0
-8.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$49.35 €43.90
-7.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$106 €94.7
-6.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$190 €169
-35.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$1,112 €989
45.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$831 €740
43.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$1,996 €1,776
43.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,702 €1,514
16.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$7,426 €6,605
2.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$4,154 €3,695
3.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Nice
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$2,501 €2,225
-36.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.9
-1.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nice: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Nice
$831 30.5% $366
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Nice
$427 58.6% $158
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Nice
$325 34.1% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Nice
$278 26.5% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Nice
$205 23.3% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Nice
$63 4.2% $2.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Nice
$72 14% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,112 in Nice. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nice pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in Nice for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $427 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇫🇷 Nice
🕒 Local time
17:56 5:56 PM
18:56 6:56 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
348,085
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Nice 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Nice

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 Nice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Nice?
Lisbon and Nice differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $2,201 including rent). Nice is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Nice. 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 Nice?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,112 in Nice. 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 Nice?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $1,535 in Nice. 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 59% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $2,201 in Nice versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Nice but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nice the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Nice?
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.
Is Lisbon or Nice safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Nice are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Nice?
Expats usually find Nice gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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