Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sintra Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sintra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,654 in Sintra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,419 in Sintra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,185 in Sintra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 35% more expensive than Sintra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Sintra 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$17.67 €15.12

-8.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$49.16 €42.08

31.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$10.43 €8.93

-0.48%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.60 €1.37

73.13%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.71 €1.46

31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.18 €1.01

33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.37 €2.03

47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.10 €2.65

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.07 €0.91

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.20 €1.03

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.55 €1.33

12.26%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.94 €2.51

8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$9.32 €7.98

44.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.73 €6.62

3.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$13.12 €11.23

22.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.96 €1.68

16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.36 €1.17

26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.83 €1.56

6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.26 €1.94

12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.08 €1.78

-12.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.84 €1.57

10.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.33 €1.14

48.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.69 €0.59

23.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.92 €5.07

15.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$3.47 €2.97

66.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.31 €1.12

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.77 €1.51

63.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.25 €1.93

1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$42.56 €36.43

10.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.84 €3.28

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.79 €0.68

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$17.39 €14.89

5.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$2.00 €1.72

0.50%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$35.2K €30.1K

0.25%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$39.1K €33.5K

-1.66%

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

$145 €124

$143 €122

1.71%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$22.41 €19.18

-6.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$43.35 €37.11

-7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$43.56 €37.29

12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$8.92 €7.63

1.57%

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

$607 €519

$425 €364

42.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,744 €4,917

184.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$98.6 €84.4

6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$45.89 €39.28

-10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$114 €97.4

-17.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$71.6 €61.3

65.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$932 €798

72.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$741 €634

66.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,490 €1,275

104.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,135 €971

81.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,049 €2,610

152.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$2,354 €2,015

81.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,412 €1,209

12.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.39

-13.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sintra: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $932 in Sintra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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 $49.00 in Sintra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $224 per month, with Sintra 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 Sintra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sintra differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,654 including rent). Sintra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $932 in Sintra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $425 in Sintra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,654 in Sintra versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sintra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sintra 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 Sintra 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 Sintra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.