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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,794 in Protaras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,885 in Protaras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,976 in Protaras.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 27% more expensive than in Protaras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Protaras 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$17.26 €14.95

-8.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$70.7 €61.2

-10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.70 €7.53

20.11%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.78 €3.27

-23.02%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.15 €1.86

6.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.30 €1.12

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$3.68 €3.18

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$4.35 €3.77

-8.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.70 €1.47

-36.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.77 €1.53

-0.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.34 €2.03

-27.35%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$4.80 €4.16

-32.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$17.25 €14.94

-23.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$9.35 €8.10

-17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$14.43 €12.50

9.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.71 €2.35

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.81 €1.57

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.37 €2.05

-14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.97 €3.44

-37.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.38 €1.19

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.12 €0.97

84.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.84 €0.73

134.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.88 €0.76

-5.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.67 €4.91

15.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$9.00 €7.80

-38.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.86 €1.61

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.40 €2.07

25.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.24 €1.94

1.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$52.9 €45.82

-12.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$8.83 €7.65

-52.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.99 €1.73

-57.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$21.62 €18.72

-12.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.64 €1.42

23.17%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$25.3K €21.9K

38.37%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$35.6K €30.9K

11.22%

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

$148 €128

$187 €162

-20.79%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$23.21 €20.10

-11.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$39.48 €34.19

0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$70.4 €61.0

-31.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$29.61 €25.64

-37.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$11.70 €10.13

-22.22%

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

$615 €532

$464 €402

32.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$7,698 €6,666

111.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$89.5 €77.5

13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$55.5 €48.03

-24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$109 €94.1

-15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$105 €90.8

16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$787 €681

104.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$649 €562

93.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,524 €1,320

101.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,336 €1,157

52.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$3,628 €3,142

113.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$2,444 €2,116

75.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.34

-12.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Protaras: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $787 in Protaras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $71.0 in Protaras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $311 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 Protaras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Protaras differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,794 including rent). Protaras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $2,690 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $787 in Protaras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $464 in Protaras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,794 in Protaras versus $2,280 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 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.