Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Porto Rafti Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Porto Rafti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,346 in Porto Rafti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,107 in Porto Rafti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,868 in Porto Rafti.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 68% more expensive than in Porto Rafti, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Porto Rafti is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.45 €9.87

53.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$63.6 €54.8

1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.56 €8.24

21.86%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.21 €3.63

-22.57%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.43 €2.10

2.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.56 €0.48

198.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.67 €4.03

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.12 €4.41

-30.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.59 €1.37

-25.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.14 €0.98

71.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.26 €1.95

-30.97%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.79 €4.13

-16.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.70 €10.08

13.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$9.97 €8.59

-15.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.21 €12.25

28.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.36 €2.04

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.30 €1.98

-24.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.71 €1.47

12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.00 €1.72

32.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.18 €1.02

61.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.18 €1.02

78.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.93 €0.80

54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.57 €0.49

40.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.38 €4.64

30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.87 €5.92

-13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.77 €1.52

-23.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.34 €2.02

-8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.42 €1.22

67.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$49.06 €42.29

-5.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$4.62 €3.98

-9.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.18 €1.02

-6.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$14.61 €12.60

18.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.13 €1.84

5.63%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$28.6K €24.7K

20.47%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$24.5K €21.1K

69.77%

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

$171 €147

$159 €137

7.44%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$22.96 €19.79

-17.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$28.83 €24.86

18.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$51.1 €44.06

-2.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$26.64 €22.97

-26.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.41 €8.12

7.33%

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

$699 €603

$493 €425

41.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,641 €4,001

282.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$71.0 €61.2

47.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$28.60 €24.65

67.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.2 €67.4

30.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$113 €97.6

13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$500 €431

232.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$401 €346

206.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$772 €666

277.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$655 €565

208.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$5,015 €4,323

62.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,406 €2,074

92.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$876 €755

84.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.36

-13.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Porto Rafti: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $500 in Porto Rafti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 85% 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 $64.0 in Porto Rafti. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $269, with Porto Rafti 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 Porto Rafti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Porto Rafti differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,346 including rent). Porto Rafti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% 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 $500 in Porto Rafti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $493 in Porto Rafti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,346 in Porto Rafti versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Porto Rafti but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Rafti 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 Porto Rafti 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 Porto Rafti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.