Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pula Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,638 in Pula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,583 in Pula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,527 in Pula.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than in Pula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Pula 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$15.18 €13.06

13.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$68.6 €59.1

-7.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$9.21 €7.93

23.67%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.50 €2.15

27.60%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$3.15 €2.71

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.18 €1.88

-19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.53 €3.04

1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.67 €4.02

-27.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.25 €1.08

-0.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.86 €1.60

6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.22 €2.77

-52.80%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$4.08 €3.51

-0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$11.29 €9.71

19.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$11.44 €9.84

-26.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$19.52 €16.80

-6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.96 €1.69

16.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.96 €1.68

-11.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.22 €1.91

-16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.58 €2.22

1.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.43 €1.23

34.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.37 €1.18

52.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.37 €1.18

5.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.26 €1.09

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$5.75 €4.94

17.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.09 €6.96

-29.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.01 €1.73

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.57 €2.21

-13.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.39 €2.06

0.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$34.58 €29.75

35.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.41 €2.93

22.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.26 €1.94

-49.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$22.60 €19.45

-21.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.88 €1.62

23.40%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$27.6K €23.8K

27.98%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$27.2K €23.4K

52.26%

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

$170 €147

$158 €136

7.68%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$22.89 €19.70

-15.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$41.34 €35.58

-18.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$50.4 €43.37

-4.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$39.07 €33.62

-49.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$11.10 €9.55

-10.63%

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

$717 €617

$249 €215

187.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,956 €2,543

491.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$116 €100

-9.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$37.36 €32.15

25.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$146 €126

-29.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$137 €118

-9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$714 €614

134.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$543 €467

134.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,365 €1,175

118.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,038 €894

91.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$4,523 €3,892

73.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$3,814 €3,282

22.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,560 €1,343

1.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.54

7.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pula: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $714 in Pula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $69.0 in Pula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $312 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 Pula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pula differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,638 including rent). Pula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $714 in Pula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $249 in Pula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,638 in Pula versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Pula but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pula 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 Pula 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 Pula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.