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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $900 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,463 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,026 in Quilmes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 155% more expensive than in Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Quilmes is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.09 ARS 13.4K

78.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$29.61 ARS 43.8K

113.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.75 ARS 12.9K

17.94%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.71 ARS 2,521

65.50%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.28 ARS 1,887

78.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.13 ARS 1,676

39.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.19 ARS 1,754

185.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.76 ARS 4,079

46.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.27 ARS 1,879

-14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.53 ARS 2,266

14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.86 ARS 2,755

-5.38%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.18 ARS 3,224

45.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$13.36 ARS 19.7K

-1.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.10 ARS 9,021

30.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

49.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.90 ARS 2,803

24.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.19 ARS 3,242

-21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.97 ARS 1,437

107.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.68 ARS 3,966

-9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.17 ARS 1,733

50.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.38 ARS 2,038

47.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.93 ARS 1,367

106.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.84 ARS 2,713

-53.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.35 ARS 4,947

96.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$4.22 ARS 6,244

32.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.24 ARS 1,832

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.06 ARS 4,517

-2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.81 ARS 1,200

181.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.47 ARS 3,645

71.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.86 ARS 1,274

-5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.10 ARS 9,021

202.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.08 ARS 1,589

92.59%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$23.7K ARS 35.1M

46.09%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.6K ARS 37.8M

53.04%

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

$148 €130

$55.5 ARS 82.0K

167.00%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$18.78 ARS 27.8K

8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$14.46 ARS 21.4K

173.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$26.49 ARS 39.1K

81.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$13.84 ARS 20.5K

34.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.98 ARS 7,355

85.14%

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

$616 €539

$220 ARS 324.5K

180.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,075 ARS 1.6M

1429.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$61.0 ARS 90.1K

68.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$60.7 ARS 89.7K

-31.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$108 ARS 160.3K

-12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$95.4 ARS 141.0K

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$342 ARS 505.3K

377.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$241 ARS 356.7K

410.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$684 ARS 1.0M

352.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$540 ARS 798.2K

276.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,345 ARS 3.5M

233.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,793 ARS 2.7M

144.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,111 ARS 1.6M

44.68%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $342 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 45% 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 $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $239 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 155% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $900 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $342 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $900 in Quilmes – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $900 in Quilmes versus $2,291 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 155% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.