Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swords Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swords

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $2,572 in Swords.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,724 in Swords.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $4,876 in Swords.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 13% less than in Swords, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Swords 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$18.36 €15.66

-14.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$94.5 €80.6

-33.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$10.48 €8.94

-1.53%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$4.40 €3.75

-36.14%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.34 €2.00

-0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.56 €1.33

-3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$6.96 €5.93

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$6.19 €5.28

-36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.45 €1.24

-25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.12 €1.81

-17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.00 €1.71

-12.50%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.03 €3.44

-23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$11.28 €9.62

17.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$10.56 €9.01

-25.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$11.98 €10.22

33.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.92 €2.49

-18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.98 €1.69

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.75 €2.35

-28.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$3.42 €2.92

-25.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.38 €1.17

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.43 €1.22

37.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.34 €1.14

46.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.66 €1.42

-49.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$19.62 €16.74

-65.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$14.15 €12.07

-58.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.63 €3.10

-61.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$3.98 €3.40

-26.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.41 €2.06

-4.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$99.8 €85.2

-53.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$4.87 €4.15

-15.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$2.09 €1.78

-61.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$38.46 €32.80

-50.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.00 €1.71

4.50%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$43.1K €36.8K

-18.57%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$39.8K €33.9K

-0.20%

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

$150 €128

$280 €239

-46.68%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$23.23 €19.81

-11.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$54.3 €46.32

-27.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$41.03 €35.00

21.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$14.12 €12.05

-34.84%

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

$624 €533

$1,075 €917

-41.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$8,257 €7,044

92.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$90.9 €77.6

12.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$39.66 €33.83

3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$99.8 €85.1

-4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$106 €90.7

13.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$1,467 €1,252

12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$1,255 €1,070

-1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$2,426 €2,069

25.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$1,979 €1,688

4.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$5,018 €4,281

57.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$5,068 €4,323

-15.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.04

-5.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Swords: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $1,467 in Swords. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $95 in Swords for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $324 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 Swords: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Swords differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $2,572 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $3,859 in Swords to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $1,467 in Swords. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $1,075 in Swords. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Swords. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Swords 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Swords. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.