Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pontevedra Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pontevedra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,510 in Pontevedra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,210 in Pontevedra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,911 in Pontevedra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 52% more expensive than in Pontevedra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Pontevedra 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$15.38 €13.45

5.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$58.4 €51.1

8.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.91 €8.67

4.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.91 €1.67

48.17%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.48 €2.17

-7.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.71 €1.49

-7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.87 €2.51

18.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.43 €3.00

17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.10 €0.96

-0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.33 €1.16

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.74 €1.52

1.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.84 €2.49

11.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$12.67 €11.08

4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.96 €6.97

0.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.18 €10.66

27.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.42 €2.11

-2.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.70 €2.36

-36.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.94 €1.70

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.61 €2.28

-6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.61 €1.41

9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.55 €1.36

30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.23 €1.07

56.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.80 €0.70

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.50 €5.69

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$4.64 €4.06

20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.60 €1.40

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.56 €2.24

16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.07 €1.81

10.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$28.37 €24.83

61.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.46 €3.91

-5.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.21 €1.05

-33.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$19.69 €17.23

-6.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.81 €1.58

14.92%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$39.3K €34.4K

-11.77%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.3K €25.7K

33.43%

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

$148 €130

$169 €148

-12.36%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$20.93 €18.31

-2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$35.25 €30.84

12.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$68.1 €59.5

-29.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$23.24 €20.33

-19.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.02 €7.89

2.22%

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

$616 €539

$292 €256

110.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,002 €6,126

134.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$92.4 €80.9

11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$35.99 €31.49

15.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$90.6 €79.3

4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$107 €93.6

14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$648 €567

151.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$521 €456

136.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$960 €840

222.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$748 €655

171.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,778 €2,431

181.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,526 €2,210

73.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,463 €1,280

9.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.98

-4.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pontevedra: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $648 in Pontevedra. 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Pontevedra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $251 per month, with Pontevedra cheaper across the board.

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 Pontevedra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pontevedra differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,510 including rent). Pontevedra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $648 in Pontevedra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $292 in Pontevedra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,510 in Pontevedra versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pontevedra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pontevedra 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 Pontevedra 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 Pontevedra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.