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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,301 in Ourense.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,916 in Ourense.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,531 in Ourense.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than in Ourense, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Ourense is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$17.20 €15.00

-8.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$57.4 €50.1

8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$6.32 €5.52

66.77%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$1.94 €1.69

42.78%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$2.56 €2.23

-10.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.69 €1.47

-8.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.80 €2.45

26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.55 €3.10

12.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.12 €0.98

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.01 €0.88

75.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.28 €1.12

38.28%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.92 €2.55

6.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$10.24 €8.94

30.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$7.45 €6.50

7.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$12.56 €10.96

26.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.89 €1.65

20.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.12 €1.85

-22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.88 €1.64

5.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.26 €1.97

8.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.73 €1.51

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.34 €2.05

-15.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.13 €0.98

74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.75 €0.66

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$6.07 €5.30

7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$8.26 €7.21

-30.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.22 €1.07

8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.58 €2.25

15.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.02 €0.89

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$28.67 €25.01

59.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$4.59 €4.01

-7.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.54 €0.47

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$58.7 €51.2

-67.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.81 €1.58

14.36%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$39.3K €34.3K

-10.42%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$32.0K €27.9K

20.76%

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

$151 €132

$112 €97.7

34.99%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$21.28 €18.57

-1.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$33.14 €28.92

19.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$45.72 €39.89

5.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$5.86 €5.12

217.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$8.85 €7.72

2.15%

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

$610 €532

$357 €311

71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$8,086 €7,055

101.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$75.6 €66.0

33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$26.14 €22.81

55.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$88.4 €77.1

5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$75.5 €65.9

57.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$642 €560

149.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$468 €409

164.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$793 €692

280.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$567 €495

263.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$2,735 €2,386

191.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$1,905 €1,662

137.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$1,524 €1,329

6.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.22

18.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ourense: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $642 in Ourense. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 7% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $57.0 in Ourense for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $236 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 ($2,217 vs $1,301 including rent). Ourense is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $642 in Ourense. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $357 in Ourense. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,301 in Ourense versus $2,217 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.