Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pamplona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pamplona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,901 in Pamplona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,719 in Pamplona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,537 in Pamplona.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 19% more expensive than Pamplona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Pamplona 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$17.09 €14.73

-6.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$57.2 €49.24

10.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$10.62 €9.15

-2.26%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.45 €2.11

13.88%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.83 €1.58

27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.28 €1.10

22.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.38 €2.91

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.55 €3.06

10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.13 €0.97

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.09 €0.94

62.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.39 €1.20

23.02%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.80 €2.41

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$15.65 €13.49

-12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.97 €6.00

14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$14.68 €12.64

5.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.58 €2.22

-11.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.20 €1.89

-25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.72 €1.48

12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.33 €2.01

7.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.50 €1.29

19.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.33 €1.14

51.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.00 €0.86

97.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.67 €0.58

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.26 €5.39

8.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$5.92 €5.10

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.25 €1.08

11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.32 €2.00

30.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.76 €1.52

28.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$36.51 €31.46

24.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.46 €2.98

23.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.94 €0.81

-9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$24.14 €20.80

-24.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.82 €1.57

9.34%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$38.1K €32.8K

-8.02%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$28.1K €24.2K

40.87%

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

$146 €126

$155 €134

-5.82%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$22.05 €18.99

-7.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$32.22 €27.76

20.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$41.20 €35.49

18.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$13.15 €11.33

43.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$10.12 €8.72

-5.93%

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

$608 €524

$263 €227

130.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$5,801 €4,998

184.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$87.0 €75.0

19.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$37.72 €32.50

11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$83.3 €71.8

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$113 €97.8

5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$1,015 €875

59.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$912 €786

39.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,547 €1,333

97.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,286 €1,108

56.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$3,825 €3,295

100.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$3,090 €2,663

40.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$2,149 €1,851

-26.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Pamplona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $1,015 in Pamplona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pamplona pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $57.0 in Pamplona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $251 per month, with Pamplona 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 Pamplona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pamplona differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,901 including rent). Pamplona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Pamplona earns 36% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $1,015 in Pamplona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $263 in Pamplona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,901 in Pamplona versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pamplona but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pamplona 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 Pamplona 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 Pamplona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.