Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thiva Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thiva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,155 in Thiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,601 in Thiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,048 in Thiva.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than in Thiva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Thiva is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.83 €10.20

48.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$65.2 €56.2

-1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.16 €6.17

62.71%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.57 €2.21

26.85%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.41 €2.07

3.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.50 €0.44

234.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.74 €4.08

-26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.83 €2.44

26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.67 €1.44

-29.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.46 €1.26

33.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.40 €2.07

-35.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$5.15 €4.44

-22.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.80 €10.17

12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.10 €8.71

-16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.99 €12.92

21.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.70 €1.46

36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.04 €1.76

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.11 €0.96

73.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.86 €1.61

41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.99 €0.86

91.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.31 €1.13

61.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.86 €0.74

67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.72 €0.62

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.77 €4.11

46.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.90 €5.95

-14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.70 €1.47

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.03 €1.75

5.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.37 €1.18

73.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.83 €3.30

9.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.14 €0.98

-3.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$14.60 €12.58

18.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.27 €1.96

-0.88%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$29.2K €25.2K

18.13%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$24.4K €21.0K

70.56%

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

$171 €147

$165 €143

3.33%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$25.06 €21.60

-24.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$29.83 €25.71

14.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$50.2 €43.25

-1.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$25.80 €22.24

-24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.34 €7.19

21.10%

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

$699 €603

$349 €301

100.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,635 €3,996

283.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$52.8 €45.53

98.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$35.48 €30.58

35.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$81.0 €69.8

25.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$114 €98.0

12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$346 €298

379.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$290 €250

323.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$632 €545

360.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,791 €1,544

353.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,479 €1,275

213.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,198 €1,033

35.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.36

-13.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Thiva: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $346 in Thiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 35% 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 $65.0 in Thiva. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $271, with Thiva 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 Thiva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thiva differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,155 including rent). Thiva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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 $346 in Thiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $1,155 in Thiva – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Thiva versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thiva but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thiva 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 Thiva 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 Thiva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.