Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Prato Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Prato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,942 in Prato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,844 in Prato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,745 in Prato.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 18% more expensive than in Prato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Prato 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$22.87 €20.01

-29.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$81.3 €71.1

-22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$11.80 €10.32

-12.54%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.99 €1.74

42.21%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$3.25 €2.84

-29.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.33 €1.16

18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$6.88 €6.02

-50.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.66 €4.95

-28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.53 €1.34

-28.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.22 €1.94

-21.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.99 €2.61

-41.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.19 €3.67

-24.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$20.30 €17.76

-35.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$11.06 €9.68

-27.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$20.87 €18.26

-25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.77 €2.42

-14.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.63 €2.30

-34.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.67 €3.21

-45.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.43 €3.00

-29.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.60 €2.28

-32.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.72 €1.50

18.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.48 €1.29

29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 €0.49

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$7.06 €6.18

-6.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$7.77 €6.80

-28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.70 €1.49

-21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.44 €2.13

21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.25 €1.97

1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$40.44 €35.38

13.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.85 €5.12

-27.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.63 €1.43

-50.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$33.42 €29.24

-44.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.11 €1.84

-1.42%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$30.6K €26.8K

13.32%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$32.0K €28.0K

22.29%

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

$148 €130

$265 €232

-44.07%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$12.84 €11.23

59.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$30.21 €26.43

30.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$44.13 €38.61

8.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$22.87 €20.01

-18.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$11.55 €10.11

-20.17%

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

$616 €539

$696 €609

-11.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$17.0K €14.9K

-3.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$101 €88.0

2.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$37.42 €32.74

11.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$101 €88.4

-6.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$147 €128

-16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$769 €673

112.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$648 €567

90.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,089 €953

184.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$910 €796

123.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,945 €2,577

165.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,147 €1,878

104.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$2,212 €1,935

-27.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.96

-3.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Prato: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $769 in Prato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Prato pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Prato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $359 per month, with Lisbon 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 Prato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Prato differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,942 including rent). Prato is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Prato. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $769 in Prato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $696 in Prato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,942 in Prato versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Prato but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Prato 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 Prato 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 Prato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.