Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palermo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palermo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,566 in Palermo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,384 in Palermo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,202 in Palermo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than Palermo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Palermo 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$14.05 €12.10

13.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$58.4 €50.3

10.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.63 €10.01

-9.63%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.01 €1.73

42.79%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.28 €1.96

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.28 €1.10

17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.72 €4.92

-38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.14 €3.56

-6.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.41 €1.21

-19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.11 €1.81

-17.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.86 €2.46

-38.46%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.43 €2.95

-6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$14.37 €12.38

-6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$12.76 €10.99

-38.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$17.93 €15.44

-11.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.85 €2.45

-18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.34 €2.02

-27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.03 €2.61

-33.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.08 €2.65

-20.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.72 €1.48

6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.25 €1.08

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.91 €1.65

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.41 €0.35

92.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.53 €5.63

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$7.84 €6.75

-27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.17 €1.87

-36.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.23 €2.78

-8.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.63 €1.41

45.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$36.75 €31.64

23.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.68 €4.03

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.46 €1.26

-43.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$46.92 €40.41

-61.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.02 €1.74

1.98%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$35.1K €30.2K

-2.36%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.7K €25.6K

32.40%

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

$148 €127

$228 €197

-35.26%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$14.61 €12.58

40.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$29.62 €25.50

33.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$45.73 €39.37

4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$32.48 €27.97

-41.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.62 €8.29

-4.57%

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

$614 €529

$398 €343

54.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$10.9K €9,384

47.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$88.2 €75.9

18.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$32.02 €27.57

31.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$90.4 €77.9

3.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$128 €110

-6.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$731 €629

122.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$482 €415

160.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,018 €877

197.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$804 €693

151.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$2,757 €2,374

182.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,354 €1,166

215.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,598 €1,376

0.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.72

-19.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Palermo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $731 in Palermo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 0% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Palermo. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $330, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Palermo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Palermo differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,566 including rent). Palermo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 0% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $731 in Palermo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $398 in Palermo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,566 in Palermo versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palermo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palermo 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 Palermo 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 Palermo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.