Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanremo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanremo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,969 in Sanremo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $3,005 in Sanremo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,040 in Sanremo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 18% more expensive than in Sanremo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Sanremo 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$24.42 €21.02

-29.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$70.7 €60.8

-10.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$10.12 €8.71

12.55%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.16 €1.86

47.69%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$2.86 €2.46

-14.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.14 €0.98

54.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$5.66 €4.87

-36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.63 €3.98

-26.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.84 €1.58

-32.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.62 €2.26

-24.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.96 €3.40

-61.62%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$5.03 €4.33

-19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$21.95 €18.89

-38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$14.22 €12.24

-41.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$23.51 €20.23

-22.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.91 €2.51

-21.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.93 €1.66

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.19 €1.89

-15.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.82 €2.43

-6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.29 €1.97

-16.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.19 €1.02

75.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.90 €1.64

-24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.56 €0.48

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$7.11 €6.12

-4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.88 €5.92

-17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.96 €1.69

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.47 €2.13

-10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.08 €1.79

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$53.3 €45.89

-12.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$8.23 €7.08

-49.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.76 €1.51

-35.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$64.6 €55.6

-72.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.14 €1.84

8.41%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.6K €28.9K

5.14%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$32.3K €27.8K

28.32%

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

$170 €147

$264 €228

-35.59%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$10.83 €9.32

78.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$30.83 €26.53

9.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$79.9 €68.7

-39.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$25.94 €22.32

-23.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$10.48 €9.02

-5.34%

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

$717 €617

$884 €761

-18.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$20.0K €17.2K

-12.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$106 €91.6

-1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$49.43 €42.54

-5.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$119 €102

-13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$168 €144

-26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$762 €656

119.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$592 €510

114.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,323 €1,139

125.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$934 €804

113.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$4,608 €3,965

69.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$2,720 €2,340

71.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,716 €1,476

-7.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.17

19.56%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sanremo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $762 in Sanremo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sanremo pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $71.0 in Sanremo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $389 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 Sanremo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sanremo differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,969 including rent). Sanremo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Sanremo. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $762 in Sanremo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $884 in Sanremo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,969 in Sanremo versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sanremo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sanremo 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 Sanremo 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 Sanremo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.