Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Portlaoise

For one person, living is cheaper in Portlaoise: $1,924 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Portlaoise

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Portlaoise

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Portlaoise actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,924 in Portlaoise.

Lisbon $2,210
Portlaoise $1,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,046 in Portlaoise.

Lisbon $3,275
Portlaoise $3,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,168 in Portlaoise.

Lisbon $4,341
Portlaoise $4,168

Living in Lisbon is roughly 15% more expensive than in Portlaoise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Portlaoise 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$18.81 €16.85

-11.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$78.2 €70.1

-21.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$12.23 €10.96

-7.11%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$3.93 €3.52

-24.43%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.15 €1.92

6.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.29 €1.16

34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$6.85 €6.14

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$5.45 €4.89

-39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.64 €1.47

-29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.27 €2.04

-15.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.30 €1.17

16.15%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$7.65 €6.86

-47.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.19 €1.96

5.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.28 €2.04

-24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.23 €1.99

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.10 €0.99

65.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$19.43 €17.41

-66.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$4.55 €4.07

-48.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$44.78 €40.13

-0.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$6.23 €5.59

-38.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.43 €1.28

-25.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$18.81 €16.85

-12.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.02 €1.81

8.91%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$40.4K €36.2K

-15.29%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$33.3K €29.8K

16.31%

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

$161 €144

$234 €210

-31.07%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$33.50 €30.02

-45.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$56.6 €50.7

-42.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$56.0 €50.2

-20.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$16.74 €15.00

-42.65%

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

$668 €598

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$5,113 €4,582

244.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$27.80 €24.91

59.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$68.3 €61.2

44.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,211 €1,085

32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$986 €884

20.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$2,324 €2,083

21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$2,104 €1,886

-4.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$2,851 €2,555

-44.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.5

10.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Portlaoise

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Portlaoise

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Portlaoise

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Portlaoise

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Portlaoise

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Portlaoise

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Portlaoise

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,211 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portlaoise pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $78 in Portlaoise. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $112, with Portlaoise cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇪 Portlaoise

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

23,494

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Portlaoise 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Portlaoise

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Portlaoise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,924 in Portlaoise, so Portlaoise is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,211 in Portlaoise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $78 in Portlaoise. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,924 in Portlaoise – Portlaoise is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Portlaoise are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.