Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,027 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,143 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,260 in Rome.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 9% more expensive than Rome, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Rome 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$17.23 €14.84

-7.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$73.9 €63.6

-12.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.74 €10.11

-10.48%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.83 €1.58

56.83%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.51 €2.16

-10.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.27 €1.09

18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.86 €5.05

-40.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.23 €4.50

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.69 €1.46

-32.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.14 €1.84

-18.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.95 €2.54

-40.34%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.51 €3.88

-28.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$17.42 €15.00

-22.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$12.00 €10.33

-34.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$20.19 €17.38

-21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.45 €2.11

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.23 €1.92

-23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.95 €1.68

3.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.58 €2.22

-4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.77 €1.53

3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.86 €1.60

7.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.26 €1.09

53.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.55 €0.48

43.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$7.13 €6.14

-7.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.63 €3.99

23.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.95 €1.68

-29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.73 €2.35

8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.79 €1.54

32.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$41.00 €35.30

11.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.13 €4.41

-16.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.60 €1.38

-48.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$35.08 €30.20

-47.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.95 €1.68

5.64%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.3K €25.2K

16.92%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.2K €26.0K

30.23%

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

$148 €127

$219 €189

-32.61%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$11.01 €9.47

86.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$31.31 €26.95

26.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$64.1 €55.2

-25.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$23.81 €20.49

-20.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$11.73 €10.10

-21.74%

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

$614 €529

$528 €455

16.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$10.4K €8,974

53.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$73.3 €63.1

42.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$34.57 €29.76

21.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$87.0 €74.9

8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$119 €102

0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,325 €1,140

22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$885 €762

41.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,661 €2,291

13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,636 €1,408

23.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$8,730 €7,516

-10.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$3,452 €2,972

23.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$2,058 €1,772

-22.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.95

-3.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,325 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $74.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $333 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 Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rome differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,027 including rent). Rome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rome earns 28% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,325 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $528 in Rome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,027 in Rome versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rome 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 Rome 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.