Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Olbia

For one person, living is cheaper in Olbia: $1,759 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Olbia, Italy
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Olbia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,759
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Olbia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,759 in Olbia.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Olbia $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,600 in Olbia.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Olbia $2,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,440 in Olbia.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Olbia $3,440

Living in Lisbon is roughly 26% more expensive than in Olbia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Olbia 29% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$22.01 €19.64
-24.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$85.1 €75.9
-27.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$9.96 €8.89
14.06%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$1.84 €1.65
61.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$3.27 €2.92
-29.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.48 €1.32
17.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$3.44 €3.06
-1.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$3.37 €3.01
-1.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.59 €1.42
-27.04%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.00 €1.79
-4.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.57 €2.29
-41.25%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$3.72 €3.32
8.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$16.23 €14.48
-20.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$11.45 €10.22
-32.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$17.55 €15.65
1.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.25 €2.01
2.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.84 €1.64
-5.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.34 €2.08
-20.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$2.74 €2.45
-5.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.42 €1.27
28.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.36 €1.22
44.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.55 €1.38
-5.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.39 €0.35
84.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$6.81 €6.07
-3.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$8.43 €7.52
-33.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.61 €1.43
-15.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.61 €1.43
32.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.36 €1.22
71.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.86
$16.74 €14.94
166.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.43
$9.39 €8.38
-59.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.48 €1.32
-27.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$31.14 €27.78
-47.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.99 €1.78
10.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$35.7K €31.9K
-4.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$35.0K €31.2K
10.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$160 €142
1.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$8.90 €7.94
106.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$26.88 €23.98
21.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$36.18 €32.28
23.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
$27.77 €24.77
-31.22%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$11.10 €9.91
-13.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$320 €286
108.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$8,200 €7,316
114.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$97.4 €86.9
4.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$41.83 €37.32
6.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$91.1 €81.2
8.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$116 €103
6.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$882 €787
82.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$729 €650
63.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$1,339 €1,195
109.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
$946 €844
112.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$3,234 €2,886
142.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$2,590 €2,311
76.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Olbia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
$1,909 €1,704
-17.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.27
17.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Olbia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Olbia
$729 38.8% $461
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Olbia
$311 14.2% $39
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Olbia
$271 11.7% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Olbia
$195 8% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Olbia
$156 6.1% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Olbia
$58 8.4% $5.4
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Olbia
$39 38.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $882 in Olbia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olbia pays 21% 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 $85 in Olbia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $311 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇹 Olbia
🕒 Local time
17:33 5:33 PM
18:33 6:33 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
56,512
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Olbia 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Olbia

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 Olbia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Olbia?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,759 in Olbia, so Olbia is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 18% 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 Olbia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $882 in Olbia. 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 Olbia?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $320 in Olbia. 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,759 in Olbia versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Olbia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Olbia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Olbia?
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 Olbia safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Olbia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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