Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sunshine Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,343 in Sunshine Coast, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Sunshine Coast despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon, Portugal
Sunshine Coast, Australia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Sunshine Coast
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,343
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sunshine Coast

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,343 in Sunshine Coast.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Sunshine Coast $2,343

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,553 in Sunshine Coast.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Sunshine Coast $3,553

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,762 in Sunshine Coast.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Sunshine Coast $4,762

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 6% less than in Sunshine Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Sunshine Coast 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$17.72 A$25.18
-6.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$73.9 A$105
-16.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$10.54 A$14.98
7.78%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$3.96 A$5.63
-25.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.88 A$4.09
-20.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.74 A$3.89
-36.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$7.48 A$10.63
-54.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$9.21 A$13.08
-64.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.33 A$1.89
-12.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.97 A$2.79
-3.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.05 A$2.91
-26.34%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$4.74 A$6.73
-15.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$11.17 A$15.87
15.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$7.99 A$11.35
-2.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$21.27 A$30.22
-16.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$3.15 A$4.47
-26.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.46 A$3.50
-29.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$3.15 A$4.47
-40.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$4.05 A$5.75
-36.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.17 A$3.08
-16.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.68 A$2.39
17.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.22 A$3.15
-33.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.31 A$3.28
-68.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$47.13 A$67.0
-86.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$15.54 A$22.08
-63.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$5.51 A$7.83
-75.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$5.92 A$8.41
-63.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$0.37 A$0.52
529.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$24.32 A$34.56
83.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$2.12 A$3.02
81.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.60 A$2.27
-33.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$36.31 A$51.6
-54.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.33 A$1.89
65.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$31.3K A$44.5K
9.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$31.1K A$44.2K
24.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$139 A$198
15.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$43.15 A$61.3
-57.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$66.7 A$94.8
-50.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$51.8 A$73.5
-13.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$16.50 A$23.45
15.76%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$15.63 A$22.20
-38.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$2,168 A$3,080
-69.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$65.0 A$92.4
56.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$112 A$160
-60.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$96.4 A$137
2.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$99.8 A$142
23.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,351 A$1,920
19.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,130 A$1,606
5.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,410 A$3,424
16.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$2,026 A$2,879
-0.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$5,540 A$7,872
41.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$5,183 A$7,365
-11.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$3,508 A$4,985
-55.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.75
-33.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Sunshine Coast
$1.1K 5% $60
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Sunshine Coast
$378 38.7% $105
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Sunshine Coast
$299 23.3% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Sunshine Coast
$249 17.3% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Sunshine Coast
$168 1.3% $2.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Sunshine Coast
$83 30.2% $19
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Sunshine Coast
$36 43.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,351 in Sunshine Coast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunshine Coast pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $74 in Sunshine Coast for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $378 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast
🕒 Local time
17:43 5:43 PM
03:43 3:43 AM
10 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
284,131
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Sunshine Coast 17,890 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Sunshine Coast

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 Sunshine Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Sunshine Coast?
Lisbon and Sunshine Coast differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,343 including rent). Lisbon 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 55% 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 Sunshine Coast?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,351 in Sunshine Coast. 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 Sunshine Coast?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $2,168 in Sunshine Coast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Sunshine Coast. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Sunshine Coast?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon 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 Sunshine Coast?
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 Sunshine Coast safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sunshine Coast are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Sunshine Coast?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Sunshine Coast on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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