Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Setubal Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Setubal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,668 in Setubal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,390 in Setubal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,113 in Setubal.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than Setubal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$11.37 €9.78

39.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$46.04 €39.60

40.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.98 €7.73

17.04%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.00 €1.72

43.50%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.75 €1.51

28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.28 €1.10

17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.37 €2.04

47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.57 €3.07

8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.06 €0.91

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.77 €1.52

-1.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.92 €1.65

-8.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.01 €2.59

6.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.27 €9.70

19.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.98 €6.86

-0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.08 €12.11

12.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.57 €2.21

-10.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.51 €1.30

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.76 €1.52

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.99 €2.58

-17.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.31 €1.13

40.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.80 €1.55

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.60 €1.38

20.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.88 €0.76

-10.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.20 €5.33

6.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.68 €4.03

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.09 €0.93

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.70 €2.32

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.29 €3.69

-44.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$47.11 €40.52

-3.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.68 €3.16

16.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.03 €0.89

-20.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$14.54 €12.51

25.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.97 €1.70

4.57%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.8K €33.4K

-11.71%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$39.9K €34.3K

-1.48%

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

$148 €127

$102 €87.7

45.04%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$21.19 €18.23

-3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$41.62 €35.80

-4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$31.03 €26.69

54.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.35 €14.06

15.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.97 €6.85

15.18%

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

$614 €528

$350 €301

75.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,286 €6,268

120.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$69.6 €59.8

50.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$33.84 €29.11

24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$71.2 €61.2

32.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$99.0 €85.2

20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$957 €823

70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$829 €713

51.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,381 €1,188

119.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,144 €984

76.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,333 €3,727

80.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,441 €2,100

75.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,343 €1,156

19.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.01

-23.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Setubal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $957 in Setubal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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 $46.00 in Setubal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $253 per month, with Setubal 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 Setubal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Setubal differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,668 including rent). Setubal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 19% 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 $957 in Setubal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $350 in Setubal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,668 in Setubal versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Setubal but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Setubal 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 Setubal 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 Setubal 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.