Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rota Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rota

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,662 in Rota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,365 in Rota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,067 in Rota.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than Rota, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Rota 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$17.21 €14.81

-7.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$43.87 €37.74

47.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.71 €7.50

20.67%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.02 €1.74

42.08%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.12 €1.82

5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.76 €1.52

-14.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.97 €2.55

17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.43 €3.81

-12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.13 €0.97

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.64 €1.41

6.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.47 €1.27

19.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.19 €2.74

0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$16.22 €13.96

-16.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.91 €6.80

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.31 €12.31

10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.71 €2.33

-14.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.93 €1.66

-11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.97 €1.70

2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.77 €2.38

-11.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.39 €2.06

-23.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.49 €2.14

-19.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.55 €1.33

24.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.99 €0.85

-20.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.54 €5.63

1.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.02 €4.32

13.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.22 €1.05

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.96 €1.68

51.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.71 €1.47

38.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$34.12 €29.35

33.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.45 €2.97

24.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.06 €1.77

-60.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$29.21 €25.13

-37.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.73 €1.49

19.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$37.9K €32.6K

-9.51%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.1K €25.9K

30.57%

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

$148 €127

$137 €118

7.62%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.73 €16.97

4.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.73 €23.85

42.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$47.79 €41.11

0.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$15.34 €13.19

23.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.67 €8.32

-5.07%

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

$614 €528

$376 €323

63.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,383 €7,211

91.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$73.6 €63.3

42.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$33.63 €28.93

25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$77.2 €66.4

21.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$108 €93.1

10.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$840 €723

93.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$681 €586

84.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,328 €1,143

128.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,022 €879

97.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,899 €3,354

100.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,254 €1,939

89.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,298 €1,117

23.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.55

7.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rota: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $840 in Rota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 24% 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 $44.00 in Rota. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $275, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rota differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,662 including rent). Rota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 24% 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 $840 in Rota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $376 in Rota. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,662 in Rota versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rota but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rota 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 Rota 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 Rota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.