Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paro

For one person, living is cheaper in Paro: $153 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Paro

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Paro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Paro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $153 in Paro.

Lisbon $2,210
Paro $153

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $299 in Paro.

Lisbon $3,275
Paro $299

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $446 in Paro.

Lisbon $4,341
Paro $446

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1346% more expensive than in Paro.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Paro is 89% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

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

$2.29 €2.05

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

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

$34.2K €30.6K

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

$38.7K €34.7K

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

$161 €144

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

$18.41 €16.50

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$3.59 BTN 341

432.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

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

$668 €598

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$202 BTN 19.2K

696.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$153 BTN 14.5K

678.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$498 BTN 47.3K

464.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$442 BTN 42.0K

355.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Paro: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Paro

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Paro

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Paro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Paro

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Paro

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Paro

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Paro

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $202 in Paro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇹 Paro

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

12:07 12:07 PM

6 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

11,448

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 BTN = 10.52 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BTN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 95.05 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lisbon Paro 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Paro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Paro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $153 in Paro, so Paro is about 93% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $229 in Paro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $202 in Paro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $153 in Paro versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Paro but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paro 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 Paro are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.