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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,614 in Ponta Delgada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,333 in Ponta Delgada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,052 in Ponta Delgada.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 37% more expensive than Ponta Delgada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Ponta Delgada 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$11.56 €9.95

37.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$46.02 €39.62

40.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.86 €8.49

6.59%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.89 €1.63

51.85%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.82 €1.56

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.36 €1.17

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.85 €2.45

22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.51 €3.02

10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.97 €0.84

17.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.72 €1.48

1.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.85 €1.60

-4.86%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.21 €2.76

0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$17.14 €14.75

-21.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$11.65 €10.03

-32.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$17.58 €15.13

-9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.45 €2.11

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.80 €1.55

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.16 €1.86

-6.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.27 €2.82

-24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.67 €1.44

10.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.74 €1.50

14.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$3.00 €2.59

-35.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.06 €0.91

-25.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.67 €4.02

41.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.11 €5.26

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.07 €1.78

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.24 €2.79

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.98 €1.70

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$57.3 €49.35

-20.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.92 €5.10

-27.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.33 €1.14

-38.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.71 €4.92

220.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.86 €1.60

10.75%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.1K €25.0K

17.86%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$41.1K €35.4K

-4.35%

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

$148 €127

$150 €129

-1.58%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$19.04 €16.39

7.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$31.18 €26.84

27.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$34.04 €29.31

40.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$19.86 €17.10

-4.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.53 €8.21

-3.67%

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

$614 €529

$287 €247

113.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,959 €5,991

130.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$49.22 €42.38

112.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$35.15 €30.26

19.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$68.6 €59.1

36.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$139 €120

-13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$946 €815

72.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$666 €573

88.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,209 €1,041

150.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$937 €807

115.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$3,751 €3,229

107.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$2,843 €2,447

50.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,454 €1,252

10.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.02

-5.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ponta Delgada: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $946 in Ponta Delgada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 10% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Ponta Delgada. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $320, 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 37% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,614 including rent). Ponta Delgada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 10% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $946 in Ponta Delgada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $287 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 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,614 in Ponta Delgada versus $2,210 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 37% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.