Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rhodes

For one person, living is cheaper in Rhodes: $1,732 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Rhodes, Greece
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Rhodes
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,732
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Rhodes

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 Rhodes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,732 in Rhodes.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Rhodes $1,732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,687 in Rhodes.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Rhodes $2,687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,642 in Rhodes.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Rhodes $3,642

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than in Rhodes.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$18.78 €16.82
-11.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$68.2 €61.0
-9.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$9.31 €8.34
22.02%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$4.37 €3.91
-32.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.51 €2.25
-8.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.91 €0.81
91.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$5.50 €4.92
-38.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$3.98 €3.56
-16.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.18 €1.95
-46.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.83 €1.64
4.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$5.17 €4.63
-70.79%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$6.17 €5.53
-34.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$16.04 €14.37
-19.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$11.42 €10.23
-31.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$18.75 €16.80
-5.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.20 €1.97
4.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.14 €1.91
-19.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.47 €1.31
26.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$2.44 €2.18
6.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.68 €1.50
8.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.88 €1.68
4.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.32 €1.18
11.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.74 €0.67
-2.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$5.25 €4.70
25.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$7.92 €7.10
-29.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.63 €2.36
-48.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.67 €1.50
28.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.45 €2.19
-4.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$73.6 €65.9
-39.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.41 €3.06
12.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.47 €1.31
-27.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$11.22 €10.05
46.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.19 €1.96
0.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$28.3K €25.3K
20.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$26.3K €23.6K
47.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$220 €197
-26.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$26.46 €23.70
-30.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$29.62 €26.53
10.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$60.3 €54.0
-26.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$39.13 €35.05
-51.19%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$8.91 €7.98
7.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$468 €419
42.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$9,190 €8,230
91.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$150 €134
-31.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$33.70 €30.18
31.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$114 €102
-13.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$163 €146
-24.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$559 €501
187.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$452 €405
163.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$1,030 €922
173.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$772 €691
160.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$3,671 €3,287
113.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$1,742 €1,560
162.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Rhodes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$1,342 €1,202
17.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.53
-15.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Rhodes: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Rhodes
$452 62% $738
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Rhodes
$344 26.4% $72
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Rhodes
$280 15.3% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Rhodes
$276 30% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Rhodes
$207 25% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Rhodes
$78 22.5% $14
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Rhodes
$94 48.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $559 in Rhodes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 17% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $68 in Rhodes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $344 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇷 Rhodes
🕒 Local time
21:34 9:34 PM
23:34 11:34 PM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
56,128
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Rhodes 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Rhodes

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 Rhodes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Rhodes?
Average pay runs 17% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Rhodes?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $559 in Rhodes. 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 Rhodes?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $468 in Rhodes. 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 21% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $2,500 go in Lisbon compared to Rhodes?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Rhodes gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Rhodes?
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 Rhodes safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Rhodes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Rhodes?
It comes down to priorities – Rhodes wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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