Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Split Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Split

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,800 in Split.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,790 in Split.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,780 in Split.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 23% more expensive than Split, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Split 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$17.26 €14.84

-7.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$81.3 €69.9

-20.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.23 €7.94

13.87%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.83 €2.44

1.41%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$3.54 €3.05

-36.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.89 €2.48

-48.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$5.47 €4.71

-36.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.98 €4.28

-22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.42 €1.22

-19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.96 €1.68

-10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.74 €3.22

-52.94%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.90 €3.36

-17.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$12.57 €10.82

7.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.49 €8.16

-16.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$13.53 €11.64

17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.95 €1.67

18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.96 €1.69

-13.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.31 €1.99

-12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.27 €1.95

8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.50 €1.29

22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.37 €1.18

45.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.42 €1.23

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.28 €1.10

-38.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.90 €5.07

12.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.09 €7.82

-37.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.70 €1.46

-19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.43 €2.09

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.70 €1.46

39.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$38.12 €32.79

19.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.37 €2.90

27.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.11 €1.81

-61.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$9.48 €8.15

93.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.77 €1.53

16.38%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$37.5K €32.3K

-8.58%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.3K €22.7K

49.16%

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

$148 €127

$215 €185

-31.33%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$23.99 €20.64

-14.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$35.09 €30.19

12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$60.9 €52.4

-21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.75 €12.69

28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.20 €7.92

-0.22%

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

$614 €528

$192 €165

220.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,077 €7,808

76.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$82.2 €70.7

27.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$39.64 €34.10

6.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$108 €92.6

-12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$107 €92.0

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$965 €830

68.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$712 €612

76.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,909 €1,642

58.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,252 €1,077

61.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$7,437 €6,397

4.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$5,150 €4,430

-17.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,687 €1,451

-4.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.27

-10.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Split: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $965 in Split. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Split pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Split for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $292 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 Split: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Split differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,800 including rent). Split is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Split earns 5% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $965 in Split. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $192 in Split. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,800 in Split versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Split but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Split 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 Split 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 Split gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.