Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Springs Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Springs

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Springs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,624 in Springs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,218 in Springs.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than in Springs, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Springs is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$9.31 R 151

88.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$37.59 R 608

71.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.19 R 84.0

124.47%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.39 R 38.67

36.40%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.94 R 15.16

164.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.72 R 11.60

131.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.90 R 30.70

82.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.17 R 35.09

64.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.26 R 20.33

-6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.00 R 16.26

95.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.91 R 30.97

-18.32%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.61 R 42.16

53.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$8.27 R 134

60.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.10 R 82.6

65.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.39 R 120

146.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.30 R 21.00

78.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.02 R 16.47

69.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.21 R 19.63

59.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.20 R 19.37

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.15 R 18.68

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.19 R 19.24

77.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.16 R 18.80

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.96 R 15.51

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.28 R 53.1

113.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$4.01 R 64.9

47.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.21 R 19.51

12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.80 R 29.09

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.43 R 23.18

66.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.30 R 4.82

1296.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.79 R 12.79

39.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$15.27 R 247

13.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.48 R 23.88

52.03%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$37.5K R 607.3K

-8.18%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$34.9K R 563.9K

19.41%

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

$171 €147

$159 R 2,565

7.78%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$38.47 R 622

-50.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$36.80 R 595

-6.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$34.00 R 550

46.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.38 R 119

36.86%

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

$699 €603

$92.2 R 1,492

657.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,754 R 93.1K

208.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$54.6 R 884

91.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$33.76 R 546

42.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$94.7 R 1,532

7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$87.0 R 1,408

47.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$293 R 4,737

467.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$284 R 4,589

333.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$754 R 12.2K

286.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$732 R 11.8K

176.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$888 R 14.4K

815.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$705 R 11.4K

557.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,208 R 19.5K

34.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.75

-64.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Springs: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $293 in Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 34% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $176 per month, with Springs 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 Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Springs differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,030 including rent). Springs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $293 in Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Springs – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,030 in Springs versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Springs but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Springs 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 Springs 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 Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.