Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paola Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,910 in Paola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,854 in Paola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,799 in Paola.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 16% more expensive than Paola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Paola 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$17.28 €14.88

-7.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$46.58 €40.11

39.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.36 €8.06

12.29%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.78 €1.53

61.24%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.34 €2.02

-4.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.15 €0.99

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.11 €3.54

-15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.38 €2.91

14.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.34 €1.16

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.29 €1.11

35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.35 €3.74

-59.54%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.64 €4.00

-30.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.17 €8.75

32.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.23 €7.95

-14.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$14.08 €12.13

12.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.46 €3.84

-48.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$3.10 €2.67

-45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.27 €2.82

-38.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.63 €3.12

-32.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.61 €2.25

-29.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.34 €1.15

49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.37 €2.04

-18.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.20 €1.03

-34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.59 €5.67

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.31 €7.16

-31.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.95 €1.68

-29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.25 €1.93

32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.82 €2.43

-15.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.77 €4.97

-25.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$4.23 €3.64

-80.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$49.02 €42.21

-62.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.51 €1.30

36.42%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.9K €33.5K

-11.90%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$38.1K €32.8K

3.21%

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

$148 €127

$92.2 €79.4

60.43%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$28.13 €24.22

-27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$46.12 €39.71

-14.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$63.9 €55.0

-25.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$22.86 €19.68

-17.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$10.31 €8.88

-10.96%

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

$614 €529

$421 €363

45.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.2K €9,608

43.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$90.8 €78.2

15.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$39.27 €33.81

7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$102 €88.1

-8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$103 €88.4

16.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,150 €990

41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$936 €806

34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,981 €1,706

52.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,490 €1,283

35.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,082 €3,515

91.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,084 €2,656

38.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,403 €1,209

14.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.08

-25.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Paola: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,150 in Paola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% 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 $47.00 in Paola. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $319, 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 Paola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Paola differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,910 including rent). Paola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 14% 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 $1,150 in Paola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,910 in Paola – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,910 in Paola versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paola but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paola 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 Paola 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 Paola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.