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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,879 in Pamplona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,643 in Pamplona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,406 in Pamplona.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 21% more expensive than in Pamplona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Pamplona 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$17.56 €15.21

-10.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$58.0 €50.2

9.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$10.49 €9.09

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.45 €2.12

18.78%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.87 €1.62

22.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.33 €1.15

12.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$3.39 €2.94

5.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.44 €2.98

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.17 €1.02

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.07 €0.93

64.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.38 €1.20

23.19%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.77 €2.40

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$15.90 €13.77

-16.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$7.12 €6.17

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$14.53 €12.58

8.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.58 €2.23

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.15 €1.87

-22.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.80 €1.56

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.35 €2.03

5.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.52 €1.32

17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.33 €1.15

55.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.94 €0.82

109.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.67 €0.58

23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.26 €5.42

4.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.52 €4.78

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.25 €1.08

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.29 €1.99

31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.72 €1.49

31.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$36.25 €31.39

27.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.41 €2.95

24.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.97 €0.84

-12.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$23.83 €20.63

-20.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.76 €1.52

14.77%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$38.2K €33.1K

-8.45%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$28.3K €24.5K

40.13%

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

$148 €128

$155 €135

-4.78%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$22.40 €19.40

-8.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$31.16 €26.99

26.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$40.53 €35.10

18.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$12.92 €11.19

42.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.91 €8.59

-8.17%

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

$615 €532

$265 €230

131.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,781 €5,007

181.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$87.5 €75.8

16.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$37.26 €32.27

12.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$83.1 €72.0

11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$117 €101

4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$1,023 €886

57.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$918 €795

36.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,547 €1,340

98.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,300 €1,126

56.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$3,758 €3,254

106.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$2,981 €2,582

43.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$2,117 €1,834

-24.35%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pamplona: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,023 in Pamplona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pamplona pays 32% 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 $58.0 in Pamplona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $252 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 21% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,879 including rent). Pamplona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Pamplona. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $1,023 in Pamplona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $265 in Pamplona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,879 in Pamplona versus $2,280 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 21% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.