Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rakvere Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rakvere

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,245 in Rakvere.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,783 in Rakvere.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,322 in Rakvere.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 79% more expensive than Rakvere, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Rakvere is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.45 €8.09

71.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$45.72 €39.14

41.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.26 €7.07

25.67%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.77 €3.22

-26.53%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.46 €2.11

-8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.93 €1.65

-18.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$4.59 €3.93

-23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$4.16 €3.56

-3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.04 €0.89

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.77 €0.66

125.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.34 €2.00

-25.64%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.05 €1.75

55.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.20 €7.02

63.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.80 €5.82

17.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.53 €9.01

52.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.96 €1.68

16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.28 €1.10

34.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.42 €2.08

-19.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.40 €2.05

5.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.05 €0.90

74.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.10 €0.94

85.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.73 €1.48

14.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.56 €0.48

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$6.52 €5.58

5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$10.57 €9.05

-45.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.17 €1.00

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.18 €1.01

145.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.78 €0.67

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$23.31 €19.96

100.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.91 €2.49

40.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.74 €0.63

10.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$20.64 €17.67

-11.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.87 €1.60

7.49%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$20.9K €17.9K

68.60%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$25.9K €22.2K

48.73%

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

$145 €124

$265 €227

-45.16%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$22.34 €19.13

-6.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$31.54 €27.00

26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$53.3 €45.64

-8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$18.24 €15.61

2.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.18 €4.44

74.90%

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

$607 €519

$114 €97.5

432.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,292 €7,098

96.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$121 €103

-13.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$35.32 €30.23

15.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$62.6 €53.6

49.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$79.8 €68.3

48.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$350 €300

357.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$289 €247

328.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$589 €504

417.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$354 €303

481.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,774 €1,519

334.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,303 €1,115

227.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,267 €1,085

24.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

2.3

65.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Rakvere: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $350 in Rakvere. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 25% 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 $46.00 in Rakvere for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $213 per month, with Rakvere 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 Rakvere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rakvere differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,245 including rent). Rakvere is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 25% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $350 in Rakvere. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $114 in Rakvere. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,245 in Rakvere versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rakvere but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rakvere 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 Rakvere 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 Rakvere gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.