Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sparta

For one person, living is cheaper in Sparta: $1,351 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Sparta, Greece
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Sparta
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,351
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sparta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,351 in Sparta.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Sparta $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,993 in Sparta.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Sparta $1,993

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,636 in Sparta.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Sparta $2,636

Living in Lisbon is roughly 64% more expensive than in Sparta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$9.87 €8.86
68.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$47.23 €42.42
30.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$7.93 €7.12
43.25%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$3.34 €3.00
-11.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.21 €1.99
3.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.58 €0.52
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$4.45 €3.99
-23.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.42 €3.97
-25.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.65 €1.49
-29.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.37 €1.23
39.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.54 €2.28
-40.55%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$5.14 €4.62
-21.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$12.34 €11.08
4.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$10.26 €9.22
-24.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$15.84 €14.23
12.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$2.23 €2.00
3.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.13 €1.92
-18.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.66 €1.49
12.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$2.01 €1.81
28.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.10 €0.99
65.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.17 €1.05
68.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.85 €0.77
72.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.15 €1.03
-37.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$5.02 €4.51
31.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$7.16 €6.43
-21.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.81 €1.63
-24.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.38 €3.04
-36.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.35 €1.21
72.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$53.1 €47.67
-15.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$4.38 €3.94
-12.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.09 €0.98
-1.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$12.50 €11.23
31.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$2.17 €1.95
1.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$24.5K €22.0K
39.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$24.2K €21.7K
60.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$169 €152
-4.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$22.61 €20.31
-18.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$27.11 €24.35
20.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$50.4 €45.28
-11.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$36.41 €32.70
-47.54%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$9.38 €8.42
2.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$233 €209
186.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$2,794 €2,510
530.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$82.4 €74.0
23.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$36.30 €32.60
22.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$80.5 €72.3
22.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$90.4 €81.2
36.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$494 €443
225.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$389 €349
206.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$728 €654
286.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$504 €453
299.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$2,483 €2,231
215.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,930 €1,734
137.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sparta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$937 €841
68.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.38
-12.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sparta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Sparta
$389 67.3% $801
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Sparta
$290 6.6% $18
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Sparta
$185 23.8% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Sparta
$219 2.9% $6.3
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Sparta
$130 21.4% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Sparta
$69 8.5% $5.4
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Sparta
$68 8.1% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $494 in Sparta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 68% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $47 in Sparta. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $290, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇷 Sparta
🕒 Local time
21:19 9:19 PM
23:19 11:19 PM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
16,239
💱 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 Sparta 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Sparta

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 Sparta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Sparta?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,351 in Sparta, so Sparta is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Sparta?
Average pay runs 68% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Sparta?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $494 in Sparta. 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 Sparta?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $233 in Sparta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,351 in Sparta versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sparta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sparta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Sparta?
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 Sparta safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sparta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Sparta?
It comes down to priorities – Sparta wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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