Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Quilmes Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Quilmes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $899 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,474 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,049 in Quilmes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 146% more expensive than Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Quilmes is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$9.11 ARS 13.0K

74.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$30.19 ARS 43.1K

114.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.98 ARS 12.8K

17.04%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.69 ARS 2,415

69.82%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.29 ARS 1,837

73.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.13 ARS 1,610

32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.19 ARS 1,700

193.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.69 ARS 3,843

44.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.23 ARS 1,749

-7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.55 ARS 2,205

12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.77 ARS 2,525

-0.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.14 ARS 3,051

50.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$13.32 ARS 19.0K

1.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.08 ARS 8,676

30.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.68 ARS 15.2K

48.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.80 ARS 2,565

28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.07 ARS 2,956

-17.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.00 ARS 1,433

101.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.67 ARS 3,804

-7.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.17 ARS 1,672

57.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.39 ARS 1,978

43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.87 ARS 1,246

121.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.78 ARS 2,542

-55.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.38 ARS 4,826

95.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.22 ARS 6,026

35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.24 ARS 1,767

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.19 ARS 4,557

-6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.84 ARS 1,193

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.55 ARS 3,643

68.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.93 ARS 1,321

-11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.97 ARS 8,510

206.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.03 ARS 1,476

100.00%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.1K ARS 34.4M

41.96%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.3K ARS 37.6M

49.22%

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

$148 €127

$56.0 ARS 79.8K

164.20%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.13 ARS 25.9K

13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$14.44 ARS 20.6K

174.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$26.44 ARS 37.7K

80.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.04 ARS 20.0K

34.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.14 ARS 7,337

78.60%

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

$614 €528

$222 ARS 316.5K

176.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,069 ARS 1.5M

1400.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$62.0 ARS 88.5K

68.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$59.5 ARS 84.8K

-29.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$107 ARS 152.7K

-12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$96.2 ARS 137.2K

24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$332 ARS 473.3K

390.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$242 ARS 344.9K

419.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$675 ARS 962.7K

348.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$539 ARS 768.5K

275.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,352 ARS 3.4M

231.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

142.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,116 ARS 1.6M

43.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

100

-96.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $332 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $237 per month, with Quilmes 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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Quilmes differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $899 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 44% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $332 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $899 in Quilmes – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $899 in Quilmes versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes 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 Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.