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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,220 in Thiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,957 in Thiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,695 in Thiva.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 84% more expensive than Thiva, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Thiva is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$13.50 €11.52

16.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$57.4 €48.96

10.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.08 €6.04

45.76%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.55 €2.18

10.20%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.68 €1.43

38.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.50 €0.43

202.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$4.77 €4.07

-29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.81 €2.40

39.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.54 €1.32

-29.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.58 €1.34

10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.11 €1.80

-17.06%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.22 €3.60

-26.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$13.56 €11.57

-2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$9.80 €8.36

-19.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$13.08 €11.15

22.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.77 €1.51

35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.89 €1.61

-8.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.13 €0.96

74.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.87 €1.59

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.98 €0.84

82.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.23 €1.05

60.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.94 €0.81

108.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.45 €0.38

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.99 €4.26

36.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$6.63 €5.65

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.67 €1.43

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.95 €1.66

49.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.41 €1.20

62.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$47.18 €40.25

-0.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$3.72 €3.17

10.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$13.75 €11.73

37.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.15 €1.83

-2.79%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$31.2K €26.6K

12.66%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$29.8K €25.4K

33.45%

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

$150 €128

$187 €160

-20.20%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$23.82 €20.32

-13.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$31.43 €26.81

24.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$49.74 €42.43

-0.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$25.88 €22.08

-28.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$7.88 €6.72

16.75%

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

$624 €533

$348 €297

79.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$5,528 €4,715

187.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$51.8 €44.22

97.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$35.00 €29.85

16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$94.5 €80.6

1.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$94.7 €80.8

27.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$353 €301

368.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$291 €248

323.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$766 €653

297.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$626 €534

229.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,839 €1,568

328.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,485 €1,267

189.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,006 €858

55.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.34

-12.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Thiva: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $353 in Thiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 56% 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 in Lisbon vs $57 in Thiva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $259 per month, with Thiva 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 Thiva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thiva differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,220 including rent). Thiva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 56% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $353 in Thiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $348 in Thiva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,220 in Thiva versus $2,243 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 84% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.