Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ourense Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ourense

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,364 in Ourense.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,946 in Ourense.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,528 in Ourense.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than in Ourense, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Ourense 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$13.09 €11.19

30.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$52.7 €45.05

21.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$9.04 €7.73

29.54%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$1.96 €1.67

60.20%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$2.17 €1.86

15.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.42 €1.22

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$3.42 €2.93

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$3.37 €2.89

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.12 €0.96

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.05 €0.90

92.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.35 €1.15

17.04%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.85 €2.44

42.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$10.31 €8.82

24.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$7.09 €6.06

13.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$12.66 €10.83

34.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.71 €1.46

39.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.08 €1.78

-12.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.90 €1.63

4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.36 €2.02

13.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.74 €1.49

9.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.27 €1.94

-13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.12 €0.95

27.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.56 €0.48

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$6.35 €5.43

7.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$5.58 €4.77

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.17 €1.00

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$3.29 €2.81

-35.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.93 €0.80

158.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$28.49 €24.37

61.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$4.74 €4.06

-10.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.86 €0.73

29.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$19.27 €16.49

-6.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.70 €1.45

29.41%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$22.7K €19.4K

55.26%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$28.9K €24.7K

38.57%

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

$171 €146

$113 €96.5

51.67%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$19.94 €17.06

-1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$32.13 €27.48

3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$46.54 €39.81

3.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$5.75 €4.92

245.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$8.56 €7.32

18.22%

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

$700 €599

$351 €300

99.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$8,762 €7,495

98.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$101 €86.1

8.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$34.25 €29.30

39.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$86.2 €73.8

23.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$75.1 €64.3

67.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$666 €570

156.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$538 €460

135.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$878 €751

238.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$633 €541

216.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$2,720 €2,327

194.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$1,900 €1,626

138.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$1,493 €1,277

11.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

2.96

26.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Ourense: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $666 in Ourense. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 11% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $53.0 in Ourense for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $228 per month, with Ourense 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 Ourense: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ourense differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,364 including rent). Ourense is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $666 in Ourense. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $351 in Ourense. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,364 in Ourense versus $2,322 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ourense but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ourense 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 Ourense 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 Ourense gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.