Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rijeka Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rijeka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,572 in Rijeka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,371 in Rijeka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,170 in Rijeka.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than Rijeka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Rijeka 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$12.60 €10.84

26.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$69.7 €59.9

-7.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.27 €8.84

2.34%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.32 €1.99

23.71%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$3.48 €3.00

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.16 €1.86

-30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$4.29 €3.69

-18.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.69 €4.03

-17.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.18 €1.01

-3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.62 €1.39

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.95 €3.40

-55.44%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.56 €3.06

-9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$16.29 €14.02

-17.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$11.14 €9.59

-28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.58 €12.54

8.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.60 €1.38

44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.71 €1.47

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.76 €1.52

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.60 €2.24

-5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.22 €1.05

50.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.27 €1.10

57.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.08 €0.93

78.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.18 €1.01

-33.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.92 €5.09

11.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.30 €7.14

-31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.57 €1.35

-12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.11 €1.82

40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.92 €1.65

23.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$55.7 €47.90

-18.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.67 €4.88

-24.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.33 €1.14

-38.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$28.69 €24.68

-36.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.71 €1.47

20.47%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$37.6K €32.3K

-8.81%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.5K €22.8K

48.38%

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

$148 €127

$184 €158

-19.52%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$22.09 €19.00

-7.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$32.71 €28.13

21.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$51.3 €44.08

-6.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.78 €12.72

28.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.24 €7.95

-0.65%

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

$614 €528

$293 €252

109.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$16.8K €14.4K

-4.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$92.8 €79.8

12.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$34.41 €29.60

22.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$98.9 €85.1

-5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$103 €88.8

15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$661 €569

146.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$531 €457

136.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,062 €914

185.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$772 €664

161.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,187 €3,602

86.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$4,039 €3,474

5.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,573 €1,353

1.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.63

-17.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $661 in Rijeka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2% 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 $70.0 in Rijeka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $298 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 Rijeka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rijeka differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,572 including rent). Rijeka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 2% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $661 in Rijeka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $293 in Rijeka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,572 in Rijeka versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rijeka but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rijeka 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 Rijeka 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 Rijeka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.