Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ponta Delgada Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ponta Delgada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,745 in Ponta Delgada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,449 in Ponta Delgada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,153 in Ponta Delgada.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 30% more expensive than in Ponta Delgada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Ponta Delgada 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$14.18 €12.23

23.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$46.87 €40.40

37.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.22 €9.67

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.84 €1.58

77.17%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.93 €1.66

29.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.88 €1.62

-11.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.25 €2.80

6.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.86 €3.33

-7.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.00 €0.86

18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.73 €1.49

12.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.78 €1.54

-12.36%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.18 €2.74

26.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$17.30 €14.91

-23.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$11.90 €10.26

-29.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$17.60 €15.17

3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.45 €2.11

-5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.74 €1.50

-0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.18 €1.88

-11.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.18 €2.74

-16.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.61 €1.39

18.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.77 €1.53

19.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.92 €2.52

-50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.09 €0.94

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.18 €4.46

35.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.09 €5.25

-2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.44 €2.10

-44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.19 €2.75

-32.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.78 €1.54

33.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$58.1 €50.1

-20.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.82 €5.02

-28.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.47 €1.27

-25.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.66 €4.88

204.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.03 €1.75

10.84%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$35.3K €30.4K

-2.26%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$42.1K €36.3K

-1.25%

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

$171 €147

$148 €127

15.75%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.26 €16.60

-1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$43.95 €37.89

-22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$33.86 €29.18

46.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$20.68 €17.83

-5.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.90 €8.53

2.02%

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

$699 €603

$294 €254

137.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,078 €6,101

151.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$49.73 €42.86

110.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$35.50 €30.60

35.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$70.2 €60.5

45.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$138 €119

-6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$1,243 €1,071

33.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$719 €620

70.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,456 €1,255

100.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$962 €830

110.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,185 €3,607

94.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$3,101 €2,673

49.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,461 €1,259

10.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.71

1.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ponta Delgada: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $1,243 in Ponta Delgada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 11% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Ponta Delgada. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $323, 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 Ponta Delgada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ponta Delgada differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,745 including rent). Ponta Delgada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $1,243 in Ponta Delgada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $294 in Ponta Delgada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,745 in Ponta Delgada versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ponta Delgada but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ponta Delgada 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 Ponta Delgada 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 Ponta Delgada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.