Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rhodes Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rhodes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,699 in Rhodes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,652 in Rhodes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,605 in Rhodes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 35% more expensive than in Rhodes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Rhodes 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$17.65 €15.45

-8.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$67.1 €58.8

-5.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.54 €8.36

8.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.27 €3.74

-33.72%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.55 €2.24

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.68 €0.60

132.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.95 €5.21

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.52 €3.96

-10.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.18 €1.91

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.09 €1.83

-16.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$5.07 €4.44

-65.29%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.90 €5.17

-46.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$17.43 €15.27

-24.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$16.45 €14.41

-51.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$16.64 €14.57

-6.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.28 €1.99

3.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.06 €1.80

-16.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.50 €1.31

34.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.40 €2.11

1.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.84 €1.61

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.05 €1.80

-0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.38 €1.21

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.73 €0.64

16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.30 €4.64

24.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$8.02 €7.02

-30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.62 €2.30

-49.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.80 €2.45

6.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.30 €2.01

-0.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$93.9 €82.2

-51.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.73 €4.14

-10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$11.79 €10.32

56.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.19 €1.92

-5.02%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$34.9K €30.5K

-0.53%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.4K €23.1K

48.24%

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

$148 €130

$177 €155

-16.28%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$21.02 €18.41

-2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$29.24 €25.61

35.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$59.9 €52.5

-19.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$11.44 €10.02

62.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$9.01 €7.89

2.33%

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

$616 €540

$411 €360

49.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,872 €5,143

179.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$176 €154

-41.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$42.84 €37.52

-2.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$111 €97.1

-14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$170 €149

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$575 €504

183.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$413 €362

198.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$990 €867

213.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$685 €600

196.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,753 €3,287

108.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,774 €1,554

147.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,356 €1,188

18.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.7

-18.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Rhodes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $575 in Rhodes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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 $67.0 in Rhodes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $371 per month, with Lisbon 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 Rhodes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rhodes differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,699 including rent). Rhodes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $575 in Rhodes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $411 in Rhodes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 39% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,699 in Rhodes versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rhodes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rhodes 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 Rhodes 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 Rhodes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.