For one person, living is cheaper in Pec: $665 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Pec actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $665 in Pec.
Lisbon $2,223
Pec $665
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,078 in Pec.
Lisbon $3,271
Pec $1,078
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,490 in Pec.
Lisbon $4,319
Pec $1,490
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 234% more expensive than in Pec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Pec is 51% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50€14.67
$5.52€4.91
198.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3€54.5
$22.36€19.89
173.93%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.27€10.03
$4.33€3.85
160.28%
Cappuccino
$3.06€2.72
$1.32€1.18
131.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26€2.01
$1.56€1.39
44.87%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73€1.54
$1.05€0.94
64.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.39€3.02
$1.96€1.74
72.96%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40€3.02
$2.77€2.46
22.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.12€1.00
$1.28€1.13
-12.50%
White Bread(500g)
$1.86€1.65
$0.63€0.56
195.24%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.53€1.36
$1.32€1.17
15.91%
Eggs
$3.96€3.53
$1.81€1.61
118.78%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.76€11.35
$7.63€6.78
67.23%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.90€7.02
$6.50€5.78
21.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.97€15.09
$12.30€10.94
37.97%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27€2.02
$1.43€1.27
58.74%
Banana(1kg)
$1.75€1.55
$1.42€1.27
23.24%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.85€1.64
$1.11€0.98
66.67%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.57€2.28
$1.69€1.51
52.07%
Potato(1kg)
$1.86€1.65
$0.90€0.80
106.67%
Onion(1kg)
$2.02€1.80
$0.87€0.77
132.18%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.44€1.28
$0.79€0.71
82.28%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82€0.73
$0.50€0.44
64.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56€5.83
$2.84€2.53
130.99%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.62€5.00
$5.56€4.94
1.08%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28€1.14
$0.88€0.79
45.45%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07€1.84
$1.19€1.06
73.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.35€2.09
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.18€39.30
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.99€3.55
$2.19€1.94
82.19%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.09€0.97
$0.55€0.49
98.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.64€14.81
$3.30€2.94
404.24%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.28€2.03
$1.42€1.26
60.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K€30.0K
$22.3K€19.8K
50.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K€35.0K
$26.2K€23.3K
50.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$167€149
$104€92.3
61.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80€16.72
$11.14€9.91
68.76%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09€29.43
$23.36€20.78
41.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$46.01€40.93
$21.87€19.46
110.38%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19€17.07
$33.79€30.06
-43.21%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84€8.75
$4.56€4.06
115.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$677€602
$150€133
352.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.9K€15.1K
$2,954€2,627
472.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101€90.1
$41.97€37.33
141.22%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76€40.70
$28.42€25.28
61.01%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$100.0€88.9
$63.6€56.6
57.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123€109
$81.5€72.5
50.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,614€1,436
$167€149
865.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,197€1,065
$111€98.7
978.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,862€2,545
$335€298
754.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,990€1,770
$277€247
617.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,577€6,740
$1,251€1,112
505.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,307€3,831
$1,043€928
312.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Pec
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,588€1,412
$471€419
237.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
4.5
-14.44%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026
Last update for Pec: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.9%
Pec
$111 16.7% ↓ 90.7%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269 12.1%
Pec
$184 27.7% ↓ 31.7%$85
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$242 10.9%
Pec
$99 14.9% ↓ 59.2%$143
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219 9.9%
Pec
$138 20.8% ↓ 37%$81
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Pec
$97 14.6% ↓ 41.7%$69
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66 3%
Pec
$31 4.7% ↓ 52.8%$35
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.8%
Pec
$4.9 * 0.7% ↓ 92.2%$58
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.1%
Pec
$277 18.6% ↓ 86.1%$1.7K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$642 14.9%
Pec
$435 29.2% ↓ 32.2%$207
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$798 18.5%
Pec
$307 20.6% ↓ 61.5%$491
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$238 5.5%
Pec
$149 10% ↓ 37.3%$89
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$370 8.6%
Pec
$215 14.5% ↓ 41.7%$154
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$151 3.5%
Pec
$96 6.4% ↓ 36.4%$55
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Pec
$9.9 * 0.7% ↓ 92.5%$121
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $167 in Pec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays 237% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Pec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $184 per month, with Pec cheaper across the board.
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 Pec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Pec?
Lisbon and Pec differ by about 234% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $665 including rent). Pec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Pec?
Average pay runs 237% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Pec?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $167 in Pec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Pec?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $665 in Pec – a 234% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $665 in Pec versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pec but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pec the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Pec?
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.
Is Lisbon or Pec safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Pec are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Pec?
Expats usually find Pec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.