Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ourense

For one person, living is cheaper in Ourense: $1,341 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Ourense
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,341
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ourense

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,341 in Ourense.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Ourense $1,341

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,961 in Ourense.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Ourense $1,961

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,581 in Ourense.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Ourense $2,581

Living in Lisbon is roughly 66% more expensive than in Ourense, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ourense is 1% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$13.56 €12.06
21.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$51.2 €45.53
19.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$9.29 €8.26
21.31%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$1.84 €1.64
66.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.64 €2.35
-14.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.62 €1.44
6.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$3.59 €3.20
-5.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$3.59 €3.19
-5.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.17 €1.04
-4.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.16 €1.03
60.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.39 €1.24
10.07%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.17 €2.82
24.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$9.60 €8.54
32.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$7.37 €6.56
7.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$13.68 €12.17
24.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.28 €2.03
-0.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.12 €1.89
-17.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.54 €1.37
20.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$2.27 €2.02
13.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.63 €1.45
14.11%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.63 €1.45
23.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.05 €0.93
37.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.46 €0.41
78.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$5.69 €5.06
15.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$5.40 €4.80
4.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.21 €1.07
5.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.26 €2.01
-8.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.94 €0.83
150.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$27.44 €24.41
61.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$4.36 €3.88
-8.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.11 €0.99
-1.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$19.05 €16.95
-12.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.68 €1.49
35.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$24.2K €21.6K
38.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$27.5K €24.5K
42.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$104 €92.9
60.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$19.22 €17.10
-2.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$28.17 €25.05
17.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$41.63 €37.03
10.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$12.68 €11.28
51.34%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$8.54 €7.60
15.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$349 €311
93.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$8,483 €7,546
99.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$102 €91.1
-1.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$36.23 €32.23
26.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$82.1 €73.0
21.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$81.8 €72.8
50.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$651 €579
147.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$524 €466
128.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$818 €728
249.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$687 €611
189.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$3,241 €2,883
133.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$2,217 €1,972
94.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ourense
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$1,616 €1,437
-1.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
2.96
30.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ourense: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Ourense
$524 56.3% $673
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Ourense
$229 15% $40
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Ourense
$201 17.2% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Ourense
$152 30.8% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Ourense
$136 18.2% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Ourense
$59 10.6% $7
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Ourense
$41 34.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $651 in Ourense. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ourense pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Ourense for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $229 per month, with Ourense cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇸 Ourense
🕒 Local time
19:28 7:28 PM
20:28 8:28 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
104,250
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Ourense 420 km
From you
  • Lisbon
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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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Ourense?
Lisbon and Ourense differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $1,341 including rent). Ourense is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Ourense. 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 Ourense?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $651 in Ourense. 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 Ourense?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $349 in Ourense. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,341 in Ourense versus $2,223 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Ourense?
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 Ourense safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Ourense?
Expats usually find Ourense gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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