Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Setubal

For one person, living is cheaper in Setubal: $1,626 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Setubal
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Setubal Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Setubal

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Setubal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Setubal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,626 in Setubal.

Lisbon $2,210
Setubal $1,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,344 in Setubal.

Lisbon $3,275
Setubal $2,344

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,062 in Setubal.

Lisbon $4,341
Setubal $3,062

Living in Lisbon is roughly 36% more expensive than in Setubal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Setubal 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$12.12 €10.86

37.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$47.89 €42.89

28.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$8.74 €7.82

29.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.01 €1.80

47.76%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.98 €1.77

15.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.53 €1.37

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.29 €2.05

48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$3.32 €2.97

-0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.02 €0.92

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.51 €1.35

26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.75 €1.57

-13.71%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.39 €3.04

18.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$11.56 €10.36

11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$7.51 €6.72

3.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$14.55 €13.03

22.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.37 €2.13

-2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.34 €1.20

29.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.84 €1.65

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.71 €2.42

-4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.65 €1.48

10.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.99 €1.78

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.51 €1.35

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.71 €0.64

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$5.90 €5.29

11.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$4.54 €4.06

23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$0.93 €0.84

46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.16 €1.93

-0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$4.34 €3.89

-46.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$45.44 €40.69

-1.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$3.71 €3.32

3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.42 €1.28

-24.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$13.83 €12.38

19.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.09 €1.87

5.26%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$33.0K €29.5K

3.75%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$38.3K €34.3K

1.01%

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

$161 €144

$98.6 €88.3

63.58%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$20.71 €18.55

-11.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$33.10 €29.64

-1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$30.86 €27.64

44.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$15.87 €14.21

20.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$7.65 €6.85

25.49%

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

$668 €598

$595 €533

12.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$10.9K €9,739

61.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$67.2 €60.2

51.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$37.07 €33.20

19.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$71.9 €64.4

37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$93.3 €83.6

32.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$985 €882

63.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$809 €724

47.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$1,590 €1,424

76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$1,171 €1,049

71.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$4,192 €3,755

86.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$2,341 €2,096

95.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,296 €1,161

21.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Setubal: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Setubal

$809 49.7% 32% $381

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Setubal

$244 15% 10.4% $28

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Setubal

$179 11% 26% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Setubal

$152 9.4% 28.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Setubal

$121 7.5% 26.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Setubal

$46 2.8% 27.6% $18

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Setubal

$74 4.5% 16.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $985 in Setubal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $48 in Setubal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $244 per month, with Setubal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Setubal

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

123,519

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Lisbon Setubal 29 km

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,626 in Setubal, so Setubal is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $985 in Setubal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,626 in Setubal – Setubal is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Setubal gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Setubal wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.