Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sligo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sligo: $1,795 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Sligo, Ireland
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Sligo
🇮🇪 Ireland
$1,795
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sligo

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 Sligo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,795 in Sligo.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Sligo $1,795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,734 in Sligo.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Sligo $2,734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,672 in Sligo.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Sligo $3,672

Living in Lisbon is roughly 23% more expensive than in Sligo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Sligo 32% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.96
$16.98 €15.26
-1.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$79.3 €71.3
-22.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$9.14 €8.21
24.29%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$3.71 €3.33
-19.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.63 €2.36
-12.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.92 €1.72
-9.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$6.58 €5.91
-48.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$6.07 €5.46
-45.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.40 €1.26
-17.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.49 €1.34
28.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.60 €1.43
-5.63%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$3.46 €3.11
16.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$8.60 €7.73
50.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.99
$8.89 €7.99
-12.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.96
$11.07 €9.95
60.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$2.01 €1.80
14.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.73 €1.55
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.90 €2.61
-35.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$2.71 €2.44
-4.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.69 €1.52
7.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.18 €1.06
66.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.30 €1.17
13.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.64 €1.47
-56.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.92
$17.45 €15.67
-62.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$11.00 €9.88
-49.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.66 €2.39
-48.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.81 €3.42
-43.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$2.18 €1.96
6.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$5.55 €4.99
-30.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.49 €1.34
-28.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$66.7 €60.0
-75.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.99 €1.79
10.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$38.3K €34.4K
-10.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$38.0K €34.1K
1.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$162 €145
-0.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$22.47 €20.19
-18.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$45.00 €40.43
-27.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.03
$65.0 €58.4
-31.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$10.97 €9.86
74.11%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$11.31 €10.16
-15.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$808 €726
-17.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$2,264 €2,035
677.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.7
$87.3 €78.5
16.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.95
$28.41 €25.52
56.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$74.0 €66.5
33.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$88.1 €79.2
40.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,342 €1,206
19.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$787 €707
51.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,527
$2,269 €2,039
23.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,809
$1,347 €1,210
49.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,043
$2,140 €1,923
266.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,111
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sligo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$4,073 €3,660
-61.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.6
6.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sligo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Sligo
$787 33.9% $403
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Sligo
$273 0.4% $1.1
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Sligo
$271 11.7% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Sligo
$229 7.8% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Sligo
$125 24.7% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Sligo
$88 37.4% $24
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Sligo
$22 * 65.6% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,342 in Sligo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sligo pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $79 in Sligo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇪 Sligo
🕒 Local time
11:17 11:17 AM
11:17 11:17 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
20,608
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Sligo 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Sligo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sligo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Sligo?
Lisbon and Sligo differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,795 including rent). Sligo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Sligo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,342 in Sligo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Sligo?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $808 in Sligo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Sligo?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,795 in Sligo – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Sligo?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Sligo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Sligo?
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.
Is Lisbon or Sligo safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sligo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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