Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Serrai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Serrai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,315 in Serrai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,954 in Serrai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,592 in Serrai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 75% more expensive than in Serrai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Serrai is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.24

$15.74 €13.64

11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.5

$46.85 €40.60

34.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.04

$11.54 €10.00

0.35%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.69

$3.66 €3.17

-15.30%

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

$2.49 €2.16

$2.42 €2.10

2.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$0.60 €0.52

190.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.02

$5.62 €4.87

-38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.98

$5.88 €5.10

-41.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.46 €1.27

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.58 €1.37

20.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.95 €1.69

-23.08%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$4.37 €3.78

-8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.52

$12.47 €10.81

6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$9.95 €8.62

-19.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.64

$11.50 €9.97

56.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.47 €2.14

-4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.88 €1.63

-6.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.39 €1.21

33.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$1.58 €1.37

61.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.15 €1.00

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.23 €1.06

70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.88 €0.76

69.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.42 €0.37

95.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.15

$5.27 €4.57

34.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.12

$9.17 €7.94

-35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.06 €1.78

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.28 €1.98

-6.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.71 €1.48

38.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.40

$49.96 €43.30

-6.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.53

$3.77 €3.26

8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.13 €0.98

0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.81

$12.30 €10.66

38.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.10 €1.82

10.00%

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

$34.1K €29.6K

$25.3K €21.9K

34.93%

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

$41.4K €35.9K

$27.4K €23.8K

50.90%

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

$169 €146

$231 €201

-27.19%

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

$19.33 €16.75

$17.63 €15.28

9.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.04

$30.26 €26.22

10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.32

$29.09 €25.21

67.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.84

$29.53 €25.59

-34.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.29

$8.05 €6.98

18.88%

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

$696 €603

$491 €425

41.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$7,495 €6,495

131.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.3

$45.94 €39.81

129.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.38

$34.44 €29.84

38.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.1

$109 €94.2

-7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$80.2 €69.5

55.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,440

$345 €299

381.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,080

$276 €239

351.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,569

$472 €409

528.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,775

$406 €352

404.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,789

$1,000 €867

683.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,869

$701 €608

536.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,414

$1,202 €1,042

35.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.6

5.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Serrai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $345 in Serrai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 36% 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 $47.00 in Serrai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $262 per month, with Serrai 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 Serrai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Serrai differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,315 including rent). Serrai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $345 in Serrai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $491 in Serrai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,315 in Serrai versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Serrai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Serrai 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 Serrai 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 Serrai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.