Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tarragona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tarragona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,752 in Tarragona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,515 in Tarragona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,279 in Tarragona.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 26% more expensive than Tarragona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Tarragona 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$17.16 €14.76

-7.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$45.59 €39.22

42.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.25 €8.82

2.54%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.41 €2.08

19.09%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.41 €2.07

-7.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.74 €1.50

-13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.51 €3.02

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.48 €3.00

11.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.28 €1.10

-10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.00 €1.72

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.68 €1.45

4.76%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.98 €2.56

8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$14.42 €12.40

-6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.12 €7.84

-13.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$17.76 €15.27

-10.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.10 €2.67

-25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.95 €2.54

-42.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.97 €2.56

-32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.01 €2.59

-18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.45 €1.25

26.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.42 €1.22

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.56 €1.35

23.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.69 €0.60

14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.39 €5.50

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.30 €4.56

7.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.11 €1.81

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.11 €1.82

40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.76 €1.51

34.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$28.96 €24.91

57.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.02 €3.45

6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.20 €1.03

-31.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$22.55 €19.40

-18.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.83 €1.57

12.57%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$36.9K €31.8K

-7.20%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.4K €26.1K

29.35%

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

$148 €127

$119 €102

24.78%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$20.16 €17.34

1.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$37.65 €32.38

5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$52.9 €45.46

-9.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$24.94 €21.45

-24.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.32 €8.02

-1.50%

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

$614 €528

$328 €282

87.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,882 €5,920

133.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$96.3 €82.9

8.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$34.78 €29.91

20.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$79.1 €68.0

18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$99.3 €85.4

20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$816 €702

99.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$795 €683

57.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,220 €1,049

148.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,135 €977

77.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,764 €2,377

182.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,265 €1,088

237.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,183 €1,878

-26.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.75

1.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tarragona: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $816 in Tarragona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tarragona pays 36% 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 $46.00 in Tarragona. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $301, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tarragona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tarragona differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,752 including rent). Tarragona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tarragona earns 36% 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 $816 in Tarragona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $328 in Tarragona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,752 in Tarragona versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tarragona but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tarragona 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 Tarragona 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 Tarragona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.