Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Protaras Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Protaras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,774 in Protaras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,822 in Protaras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,871 in Protaras.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 29% more expensive than in Protaras, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Protaras 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$17.58 €15.33

0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$58.3 €50.8

7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.28 €8.09

24.78%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.64 €3.17

-14.84%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.89 €1.65

31.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.17 €1.02

48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$4.21 €3.67

-17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.15 €3.62

-17.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.96 €1.71

-41.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.51 €1.31

26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.41 €2.10

-37.76%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$5.30 €4.62

-24.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$14.10 €12.29

-5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.01 €7.85

-11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$12.76 €11.12

41.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.19 €2.78

-26.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.83 €1.60

-4.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.19 €1.91

-15.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.88 €3.38

-34.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.46 €1.27

26.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.18 €1.03

77.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.67 €0.58

122.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.08 €0.94

-24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.94 €5.18

19.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.92 €6.03

-14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.72 €1.50

-23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.06 €1.79

3.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.64 €2.30

-10.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$46.09 €40.18

1.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$11.67 €10.17

-65.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.15 €1.87

-46.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$22.71 €19.80

-24.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.79 €1.56

29.05%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$33.8K €29.5K

0.86%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$34.1K €29.7K

21.34%

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

$169 €147

$170 €148

-1.03%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$22.63 €19.72

-14.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$36.34 €31.67

-7.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$74.5 €64.9

-34.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$28.37 €24.73

-31.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$11.53 €10.05

-17.00%

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

$696 €607

$441 €385

57.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,852 €5,973

153.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$84.4 €73.6

24.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$46.00 €40.10

3.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$95.1 €82.9

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$89.7 €78.2

38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$809 €705

105.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$696 €607

79.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,835 €1,599

61.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,431 €1,247

43.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$3,519 €3,068

122.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,538 €2,213

75.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.31

14.20%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Protaras: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $809 in Protaras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Protaras. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $295, 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 Protaras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Protaras differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,774 including rent). Protaras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $2,660 in Protaras to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $809 in Protaras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $441 in Protaras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,774 in Protaras versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Protaras but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Protaras 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 Protaras 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 Protaras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.