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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,624 in Rijeka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,498 in Rijeka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,373 in Rijeka.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 43% more expensive than in Rijeka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Rijeka 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.92

$13.89 €11.98

24.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$74.2 €64.0

-14.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$10.57 €9.12

7.76%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.34 €2.02

36.32%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$3.19 €2.75

-23.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.00 €1.72

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$3.92 €3.38

-8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$4.58 €3.95

-25.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.23 €1.06

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.66 €1.43

19.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.54 €3.06

-57.06%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$3.86 €3.33

4.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$16.83 €14.52

-19.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.23

$10.43 €9.00

-19.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.74

$14.69 €12.67

24.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.75 €1.51

30.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.80 €1.55

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.91 €1.64

-2.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.66 €2.29

-1.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.43 €1.23

34.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.31 €1.13

59.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.36 €1.18

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.37 €1.18

-38.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$6.14 €5.30

10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$8.16 €7.04

-30.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.65 €1.42

-16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.21 €1.91

0.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.29 €1.97

4.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

$56.7 €48.93

-17.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$5.76 €4.96

-27.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.48 €1.28

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

$29.41 €25.37

-39.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.95 €1.68

18.97%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$27.4K €23.6K

29.07%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$25.8K €22.3K

60.61%

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

$170 €147

$192 €166

-11.50%

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

$19.34 €16.68

$24.89 €21.46

-22.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.01

$40.70 €35.11

-17.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.48

$55.5 €47.89

-13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

$11.44 €9.87

73.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$7.00 €6.04

41.71%

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

$717 €619

$558 €481

28.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$13.2K €11.4K

32.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$104 €89.6

0.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.49

$42.90 €37.00

9.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$105 €90.8

-1.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$115 €98.9

8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,446

$727 €627

130.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,096

$554 €478

129.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,574

$1,237 €1,067

141.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,718

$892 €770

123.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,750

$4,274 €3,686

83.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,017

$4,159 €3,587

11.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,365

$1,525 €1,315

3.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.73

1.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rijeka: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $727 in Rijeka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 4% 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 $74.0 in Rijeka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $303 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 43% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,624 including rent). Rijeka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $727 in Rijeka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $558 in Rijeka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,624 in Rijeka versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,500 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 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.