Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Plunge Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Plunge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,384 in Plunge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,177 in Plunge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,969 in Plunge.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 60% more expensive than Plunge, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Plunge 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$13.62 €11.73

15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$68.2 €58.8

-8.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$9.00 €7.75

17.11%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$3.65 €3.14

-24.11%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$2.04 €1.76

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.33 €2.01

-33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$5.14 €4.42

-30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$5.12 €4.41

-22.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.47 €1.26

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.58 €1.36

12.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.54 €2.19

-30.31%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.89 €2.49

7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$12.81 €11.03

4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$6.91 €5.95

15.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$12.43 €10.70

28.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.58 €1.36

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.12 €1.83

-6.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.29 €2.83

-25.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.89 €0.76

98.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.09 €0.94

80.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.87 €1.61

5.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.95 €0.81

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$5.72 €4.93

14.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$10.55 €9.08

-45.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.68 €1.45

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.19 €1.88

36.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.19 €1.02

96.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$32.98 €28.40

39.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$3.29 €2.84

29.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.11 €0.95

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$16.53 €14.23

14.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.71 €1.47

21.05%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$35.4K €30.5K

-0.39%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$33.3K €28.7K

15.83%

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

$151 €130

$243 €209

-37.69%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$13.81 €11.89

51.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$16.91 €14.56

133.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$42.20 €36.34

14.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$23.18 €19.96

-19.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$9.03 €7.78

0.11%

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

$610 €525

$631 €543

-3.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$9,073 €7,813

79.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$88.0 €75.8

15.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$42.37 €36.49

-4.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$109 €94.0

-14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$132 €114

-10.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$542 €467

195.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$363 €313

241.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$844 €727

257.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$647 €557

218.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$3,127 €2,692

155.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,787 €1,539

153.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,324 €1,140

22.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.49

-15.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Plunge: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $542 in Plunge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 23% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $68.0 in Plunge. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $263, with Plunge 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 Plunge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Plunge differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,384 including rent). Plunge is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 23% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $542 in Plunge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $631 in Plunge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,384 in Plunge versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Plunge but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Plunge 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 Plunge 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 Plunge 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.