Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Novara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Novara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,536 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,376 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,217 in Novara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than in Novara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Novara 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$17.42 €14.99

-0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$57.7 €49.65

9.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$10.66 €9.17

6.85%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$1.80 €1.55

77.22%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$3.53 €3.04

-30.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.78 €1.53

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$5.96 €5.13

-39.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$5.34 €4.60

-36.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.49 €1.28

-16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.92 €1.66

3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.02 €2.60

-49.67%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.27 €2.82

23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$11.71 €10.07

15.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$9.15 €7.87

-8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$13.84 €11.91

31.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.62 €2.25

-12.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.70 €1.46

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.55 €3.05

-47.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.31 €1.99

13.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.05 €1.76

-6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.12 €0.96

86.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.02 €0.88

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.78 €0.67

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.41 €5.51

5.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.94 €5.11

-3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.91 €1.65

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.33 €2.01

-4.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.76 €1.52

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$39.06 €33.61

19.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$4.69 €4.04

-11.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.30 €1.12

-12.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$35.40 €30.46

-50.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.06 €1.77

12.62%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$28.0K €24.1K

26.36%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$34.6K €29.8K

19.68%

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

$170 €147

$186 €160

-8.31%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$10.46 €9.00

84.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$31.50 €27.10

6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$80.1 €68.9

-39.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$19.52 €16.80

1.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$11.70 €10.07

-15.21%

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

$717 €617

$539 €464

33.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$10.4K €8,979

67.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$129 €111

-18.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$35.29 €30.37

33.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$58.3 €50.1

77.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$128 €110

-3.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$673 €580

148.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$454 €391

180.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,109 €954

169.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$819 €705

143.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$2,917 €2,510

168.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,936 €1,666

140.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$2,195 €1,889

-27.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.62

4.70%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Novara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $673 in Novara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novara pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $279 per month, with Novara 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 Novara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Novara differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,536 including rent). Novara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Novara. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $673 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $539 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,536 in Novara versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.