Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palma Soriano Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palma Soriano

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,568 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,880 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,193 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.01 CUP 120

217.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$25.43 CUP 610

154.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.93 CUP 118

113.18%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.15 CUP 75.5

-8.89%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.26 CUP 30.28

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.92 CUP 22.04

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.04 CUP 72.9

14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.42 CUP 58.1

60.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.05 CUP 49.13

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.42 CUP 34.16

23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.02 CUP 24.41

72.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.21 CUP 29.12

166.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$6.16 CUP 148

118.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.12 CUP 147

29.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.82 CUP 260

46.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.90 CUP 45.58

21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.22 CUP 29.37

39.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.46 CUP 35.01

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.46 CUP 34.97

68.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.99 CUP 23.75

85.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.98 CUP 23.53

104.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.02 CUP 24.41

89.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.12 CUP 26.96

-29.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.06 CUP 73.4

116.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.89 CUP 237

-42.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-54.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.04 CUP 48.99

45.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.26 CUP 6.28

811.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$29.80 CUP 715

52.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.82 CUP 43.75

135.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.36 CUP 8.69

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$12.72 CUP 305

43.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.12 CUP 26.84

83.93%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

-47.58%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$46.2K CUP 1.1M

-14.90%

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

$148 €127

$54.2 CUP 1,300

173.07%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$10.05 CUP 241

104.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$146 CUP 3,499

-72.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$40.49 CUP 972

18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$9.92 CUP 238

90.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$0.98 CUP 23.45

836.73%

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

$614 €528

$99.9 CUP 2,397

514.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$12.2K CUP 292.5K

31.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$64.0 CUP 1,536

63.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$34.89 CUP 837

20.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$86.6 CUP 2,079

8.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$111 CUP 2,674

7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$880 CUP 21.1K

84.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$798 CUP 19.2K

57.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$743 CUP 17.8K

307.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$654 CUP 15.7K

208.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$314 CUP 7,545

2380.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$330 CUP 7,920

1194.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$39.79 CUP 955

3929.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.33

-54.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $880 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 3930% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $216 per month, with Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Palma Soriano differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,568 including rent). Palma Soriano is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 3930% 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 $880 in Palma Soriano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $99.9 in Palma Soriano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,568 in Palma Soriano versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Palma Soriano but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano 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.