Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rennes

For one person, living is cheaper in Rennes: $1,722 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Rennes
🇫🇷 France
$1,722
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Rennes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Rennes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,722 in Rennes.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Rennes $1,722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $2,694 in Rennes.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Rennes $2,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,666 in Rennes.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Rennes $3,666

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than in Rennes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Rennes 27% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$14.73 €13.10
15.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$68.2 €60.7
-8.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$13.30 €11.83
-17.14%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$3.53 €3.14
-11.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.60 €2.31
-12.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.08 €1.85
-16.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$7.93 €7.06
-56.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$5.71 €5.08
-34.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.20 €1.07
-2.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.98 €1.76
-6.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$3.33 €2.96
-53.75%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.68 €3.28
10.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$17.15 €15.25
-24.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$13.44 €11.95
-41.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$23.62 €21.01
-25.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.27 €2.91
-30.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.00 €1.78
-12.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.50 €2.22
-24.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$3.30 €2.94
-22.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.38 €2.12
-22.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.44 €1.28
36.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.55 €1.38
-6.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.90 €0.80
-14.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$13.25 €11.78
-49.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$6.89 €6.13
-17.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.41 €3.03
-59.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$3.48 €3.10
-39.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.87 €1.66
24.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$57.2 €50.8
-22.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$8.78 €7.81
-55.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.21 €1.08
-13.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$32.98 €29.34
-48.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.15 €1.91
1.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$34.7K €30.9K
-2.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$37.6K €33.4K
1.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$156 €139
4.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$13.30 €11.83
38.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$30.84 €27.43
6.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$40.83 €36.31
12.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$12.48 €11.11
49.68%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$13.65 €12.14
-28.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$904 €805
-24.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$9,919 €8,823
77.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$85.3 €75.9
21.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$56.5 €50.3
-18.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$112 €100.0
-11.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$104 €92.3
20.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$789 €702
101.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$574 €511
103.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,361 €1,210
109.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,048 €932
90.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$6,353 €5,651
22.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$3,149 €2,801
40.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Rennes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$2,873 €2,555
-44.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.91
-1.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rennes: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Rennes
$574 50.9% $595
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Rennes
$369 35.2% $96
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Rennes
$270 9.1% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Rennes
$200 6.9% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Rennes
$161 4.4% $7.3
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Rennes
$68 4.2% $2.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Rennes
$79 26.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $789 in Rennes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rennes pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $68.0 in Rennes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $369 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇫🇷 Rennes
🕒 Local time
17:51 5:51 PM
18:51 6:51 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
225,081
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Rennes 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Rennes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Rennes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Rennes?
Lisbon and Rennes differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $1,722 including rent). Rennes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Rennes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Rennes?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $789 in Rennes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Rennes?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $904 in Rennes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,722 in Rennes versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rennes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rennes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Rennes?
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.
Is Lisbon or Rennes safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Rennes are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Rennes?
Expats usually find Rennes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?