Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Silves Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Silves

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,586 in Silves.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,340 in Silves.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,094 in Silves.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 44% more expensive than in Silves, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Silves 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$11.69 €10.23

38.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$45.86 €40.16

38.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.21 €8.07

12.05%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.14 €1.88

32.24%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.92 €1.68

19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.37 €1.20

15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.38 €2.08

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.44 €3.01

17.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.10 €0.97

-0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.56 €1.37

12.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.68 €1.47

4.76%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.18 €2.79

-0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$11.12 €9.74

18.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.43 €6.50

7.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.86 €12.14

12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.32 €2.03

2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.43 €1.25

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.80 €1.58

11.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.61 €2.28

-6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.50 €1.32

17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.95 €1.70

4.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.57 €1.37

22.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.82 €0.72

3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.10 €5.34

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.73 €4.14

17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.26 €1.11

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.33 €2.04

27.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.38 €2.08

-4.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$41.31 €36.18

10.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.09 €3.58

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$17.23 €15.09

7.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.97 €1.73

5.58%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$34.4K €30.1K

0.88%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$39.8K €34.8K

-1.50%

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

$148 €130

$134 €117

10.35%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$20.97 €18.36

-2.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$42.81 €37.50

-7.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$44.35 €38.84

8.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$8.69 €7.61

6.10%

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

$616 €540

$481 €421

28.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,283 €7,254

98.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$74.8 €65.5

37.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$38.99 €34.14

7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$89.5 €78.4

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$99.9 €87.5

22.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$916 €802

78.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$721 €631

70.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,488 €1,303

108.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,149 €1,006

76.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,502 €3,067

123.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,069 €1,812

112.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$973 €852

65.21%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Silves: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $916 in Silves. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 65% 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 $46.00 in Silves for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $243 per month, with Silves 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 Silves: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Silves differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,586 including rent). Silves is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $916 in Silves. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $481 in Silves. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,586 in Silves versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Silves but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Silves 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 Silves 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 Silves gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.