Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Poitiers Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Poitiers

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,599 in Poitiers.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,481 in Poitiers.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,363 in Poitiers.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 40% more expensive than Poitiers, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Poitiers 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$17.26 €14.72

-8.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$57.0 €48.64

10.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$13.87 €11.83

-25.59%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.31 €2.82

-15.11%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$3.54 €3.02

-34.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.07 €1.76

-27.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$6.85 €5.84

-50.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$6.06 €5.17

-35.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.63 €1.39

-33.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.97 €1.68

-11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.22 €1.89

-21.17%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$5.16 €4.40

-39.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$24.54 €20.93

-45.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$13.47 €11.49

-41.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$19.52 €16.65

-17.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.51 €2.14

-4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.18 €1.86

-21.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.53 €3.01

-44.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$3.20 €2.73

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.07 €1.76

-13.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.45 €2.09

-19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.89 €1.62

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.67 €0.57

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$13.16 €11.22

-48.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$6.54 €5.58

-10.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.84 €2.42

-51.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$3.88 €3.31

-24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.94 €1.65

18.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$32.34 €27.58

44.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$9.34 €7.96

-55.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$2.07 €1.77

-60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$55.5 €47.33

-65.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.12 €1.81

-1.42%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$35.4K €30.2K

-0.85%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$35.8K €30.5K

10.91%

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

$150 €128

$203 €173

-26.46%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$17.10 €14.58

19.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$35.32 €30.12

10.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$34.29 €29.25

44.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$19.37 €16.52

-4.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$9.58 €8.17

-3.97%

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

$624 €533

$699 €597

-10.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$11.3K €9,643

40.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$88.5 €75.5

15.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$46.08 €39.31

-11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$78.8 €67.2

21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$75.8 €64.7

59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$616 €526

168.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$402 €343

206.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$953 €813

219.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$748 €638

175.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$3,803 €3,244

107.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$2,419 €2,063

77.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$2,163 €1,845

-27.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.55

7.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Poitiers: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $616 in Poitiers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poitiers pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $57 in Poitiers. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $383, 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 Poitiers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Poitiers differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,599 including rent). Poitiers is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Poitiers earns 38% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $616 in Poitiers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $699 in Poitiers. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 42% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,599 in Poitiers versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Poitiers but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Poitiers 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 Poitiers 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 Poitiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.