Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sligo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sligo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,962 in Sligo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,960 in Sligo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,959 in Sligo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 16% more expensive than in Sligo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Sligo 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$17.24 €15.03

-8.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$82.6 €72.0

-23.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$10.05 €8.76

3.98%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$3.80 €3.31

-23.42%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.11 €1.84

8.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.62 €1.41

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$6.72 €5.86

-47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$5.90 €5.14

-32.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.49 €1.29

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.66 €1.45

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.53 €1.33

11.11%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$3.57 €3.11

-8.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.40 €6.45

79.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$10.80 €9.42

-28.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$11.44 €9.97

37.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.10 €1.83

8.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.75 €1.52

-5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$3.05 €2.66

-33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.88 €2.51

-14.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.38 €1.20

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.23 €1.07

68.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.21 €1.06

62.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$2.08 €1.82

-60.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$17.82 €15.54

-63.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$11.42 €9.96

-51.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.84 €2.48

-53.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$3.33 €2.90

-9.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$2.29 €2.00

-0.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$98.5 €85.9

-52.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$4.79 €4.17

-11.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.48 €1.29

-42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$68.6 €59.8

-72.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.03 €1.77

-0.49%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$42.4K €36.9K

-17.50%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$40.1K €34.9K

-1.08%

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

$148 €129

$183 €160

-19.30%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$22.71 €19.80

-9.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$50.8 €44.24

-22.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$66.2 €57.7

-27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$11.64 €10.15

57.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$11.45 €9.98

-20.52%

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

$615 €536

$582 €508

5.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$2,320 €2,023

601.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$79.4 €69.2

27.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$37.67 €32.84

11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$97.6 €85.1

-5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$74.8 €65.3

63.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$1,385 €1,208

16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$805 €702

55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$2,338 €2,038

31.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$1,409 €1,229

44.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$2,185 €1,905

254.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$4,118 €3,590

-61.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.53

-15.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sligo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,385 in Sligo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sligo pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $83.0 in Sligo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $290 per month, with Lisbon 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 Sligo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sligo differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,962 including rent). Sligo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 157% lower in Sligo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $1,385 in Sligo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $582 in Sligo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,962 in Sligo versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sligo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sligo 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 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.

Expats usually find Sligo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.