Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Piraeus Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Piraeus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,403 in Piraeus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,179 in Piraeus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,954 in Piraeus.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 60% more expensive than Piraeus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Piraeus 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$11.77 €10.04

33.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$59.0 €50.3

7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$9.40 €8.02

9.79%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.93 €3.35

-28.50%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.63 €1.39

42.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.59 €0.50

155.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$5.70 €4.86

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.68 €4.85

-31.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.88 €1.60

-42.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.20 €1.03

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.72 €2.32

-35.66%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$3.84 €3.28

-19.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$14.34 €12.23

-7.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$10.25 €8.74

-23.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$13.80 €11.77

16.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.61 €2.23

-8.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.27 €1.94

-24.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.19 €1.02

65.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.91 €1.63

33.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.25 €1.06

43.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.95 €0.81

107.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.96 €0.82

104.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.87 €0.74

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.20 €4.44

31.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$9.61 €8.20

-39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.05 €1.75

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$3.56 €3.04

-17.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.40 €1.20

63.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$35.36 €30.16

32.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$4.73 €4.04

-12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$29.15 €24.86

-35.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.06 €1.75

1.46%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

0.01%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$27.2K €23.2K

45.81%

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

$150 €128

$186 €159

-19.71%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$24.45 €20.85

-16.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$31.86 €27.17

22.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$42.66 €36.39

16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$26.57 €22.67

-30.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$10.10 €8.61

-8.91%

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

$624 €533

$408 €348

53.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$5,932 €5,060

168.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$72.0 €61.4

41.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$40.31 €34.39

1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$126 €108

-24.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$91.6 €78.1

32.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$554 €473

198.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$404 €344

205.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$1,039 €886

192.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$752 €641

173.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$3,550 €3,028

121.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$2,779 €2,370

54.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,142 €974

37.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.83

-21.12%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Piraeus: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $554 in Piraeus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 37% 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: $63 in Lisbon vs $59 in Piraeus. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $290, 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 Piraeus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Piraeus differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,403 including rent). Piraeus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 37% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $554 in Piraeus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $408 in Piraeus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,403 in Piraeus versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piraeus but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Piraeus 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 Piraeus 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 Piraeus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.