Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ostia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ostia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $1,690 in Ostia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $2,587 in Ostia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $3,485 in Ostia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 34% more expensive than Ostia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Ostia 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$17.20 €14.64

-8.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$76.7 €65.3

-16.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$11.56 €9.83

-10.29%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$2.21 €1.88

30.77%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$2.26 €1.93

-1.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.08 €0.92

43.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$4.51 €3.84

-25.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$4.51 €3.84

-13.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.71 €1.45

-34.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$2.19 €1.86

-17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.91 €2.48

-39.86%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$4.60 €3.91

-31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$14.99 €12.76

-9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$10.34 €8.80

-24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$16.29 €13.86

-3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.46 €2.09

-7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$2.19 €1.86

-21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.96 €1.67

-1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.68 €2.28

-5.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.80 €1.53

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.87 €1.59

9.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.26 €1.07

53.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.52 €0.44

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$6.97 €5.93

-4.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$5.19 €4.42

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.86 €1.58

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.66 €2.27

9.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$1.72 €1.46

36.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$43.87 €37.34

4.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$5.36 €4.56

-21.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.59 €1.36

-49.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$35.41 €30.13

-47.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.94 €1.65

7.73%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$29.0K €24.7K

19.45%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$29.8K €25.4K

32.95%

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

$146 €124

$224 €191

-34.86%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$11.00 €9.36

89.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$33.04 €28.12

20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$63.8 €54.3

-23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$23.12 €19.67

-18.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$11.48 €9.77

-20.99%

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

$618 €526

$399 €339

55.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$9,092 €7,737

77.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$74.6 €63.4

40.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$34.37 €29.25

17.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$84.8 €72.2

10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$120 €102

2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$748 €636

114.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$581 €495

116.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$1,235 €1,051

148.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$929 €790

116.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$2,840 €2,417

171.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$2,169 €1,846

101.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$2,157 €1,835

-24.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.95

-3.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Ostia: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $748 in Ostia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostia pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $77 in Ostia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $307 per month, with Lisbon 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 Ostia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ostia differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $1,690 including rent). Ostia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ostia earns 32% less. 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $748 in Ostia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $399 in Ostia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,690 in Ostia versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ostia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ostia 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 Ostia 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 Ostia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.