Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swieqi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swieqi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,162 in Swieqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,477 in Swieqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,792 in Swieqi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Swieqi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Swieqi 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$17.21 €14.99

2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$70.0 €61.0

-10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$11.67 €10.16

-0.77%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.26 €2.84

-4.91%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.42 €2.11

2.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.88 €1.64

-7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.79 €3.31

-8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.67 €4.07

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.38 €1.20

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.49 €1.29

28.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$3.62 €3.16

-58.56%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.25 €2.83

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$9.09 €7.92

46.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$10.51 €9.15

-23.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$18.45 €16.08

-2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.97 €3.46

-40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.32 €2.02

-24.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.84 €2.48

-34.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.86 €3.36

-33.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.92 €1.67

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.53 €2.21

-17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.87 €1.63

-20.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.86 €0.75

-4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.61 €5.76

7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.03 €5.26

-1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.51 €2.18

-47.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.37 €2.06

-10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.50 €2.18

-5.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$15.25 €13.29

205.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$4.05 €3.53

0.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.83 €1.60

-37.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$34.13 €29.73

-49.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.54 €1.34

50.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$28.9K €25.2K

17.98%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$40.9K €35.6K

1.16%

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

$169 €147

$130 €113

30.07%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$22.70 €19.77

-14.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$30.05 €26.18

11.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$69.4 €60.5

-29.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$16.27 €14.17

19.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$9.08 €7.91

5.40%

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

$696 €606

$228 €199

204.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$12.8K €11.1K

36.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$75.0 €65.3

40.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$57.7 €50.2

-17.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$117 €102

-14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$133 €116

-6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$1,328 €1,157

25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,080 €940

15.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$3,223 €2,808

-8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$2,217 €1,931

-7.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$3,937 €3,430

98.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$2,871 €2,501

55.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$1,457 €1,269

11.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.01

-5.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,328 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $70.0 in Swieqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $314 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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Swieqi differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,162 including rent). Swieqi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,328 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $228 in Swieqi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,162 in Swieqi versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Swieqi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Swieqi 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 Swieqi 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 Swieqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.