Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thiva

For one person, living is cheaper in Thiva: $1,154 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Thiva, Greece
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Thiva
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,154
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Thiva

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Thiva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,154 in Thiva.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Thiva $1,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $1,582 in Thiva.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Thiva $1,582

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,010 in Thiva.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Thiva $2,010

Living in Lisbon is roughly 91% more expensive than in Thiva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Thiva is 15% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.04
$11.15 €9.95
51.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.5
$59.7 €53.2
2.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.80
$6.73 €6.00
63.15%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$2.46 €2.20
23.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.04
$2.39 €2.13
-4.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$0.51 €0.46
229.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.07
$4.51 €4.03
-23.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$2.74 €2.44
42.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.67 €1.49
-31.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.43 €1.27
32.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$2.48 €2.21
-39.52%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.67
$5.04 €4.49
-18.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.60
$12.20 €10.88
6.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.18
$10.06 €8.98
-20.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.96
$14.28 €12.74
25.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$1.64 €1.46
38.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.85 €1.65
-5.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.03 €0.92
76.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.87 €1.67
43.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.58
$0.94 €0.83
88.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.16 €1.03
67.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.85 €0.76
71.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$0.63 €0.56
20.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.94
$4.57 €4.08
45.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.03
$7.35 €6.56
-23.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.73 €1.54
-25.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.88 €1.68
13.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.32 €1.18
74.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.26
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$3.60 €3.21
10.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$0.99 €0.89
-35.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.88
$22.49 €20.06
-15.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.09 €1.86
9.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.8K
$27.7K €24.7K
20.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$24.4K €21.8K
57.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$168 €150
-6.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.64
$25.29 €22.56
-30.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.82
$27.78 €24.78
12.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.82
$51.4 €45.81
-13.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.93
$24.96 €22.26
-23.96%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.54
$8.30 €7.41
15.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €601
$336 €299
100.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$4,218 €3,763
344.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.2
$57.8 €51.5
76.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.94
$39.75 €35.46
15.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.2
$82.0 €73.2
24.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$106 €94.8
14.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,463
$340 €303
382.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,059
$277 €247
328.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,519
$620 €553
355.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,800
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,989
$1,743 €1,555
349.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,193
$1,404 €1,252
234.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Thiva
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,505
$1,133 €1,010
48.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
4.38
-12.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Thiva: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Thiva
$277 76.7% $910
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Thiva
$267 2.8% $7.8
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Thiva
$179 27.2% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Thiva
$222 7.1% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Thiva
$129 23.2% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Thiva
$68 6.5% $4.2
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Thiva
$14 * 77% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $340 in Thiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 49% 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: $61 in Lisbon vs $60 in Thiva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $267 per month, with Thiva cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇷 Thiva
🕒 Local time
06:55 6:55 AM
08:55 8:55 AM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
22,883
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Thiva 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Thiva

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Thiva?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,154 in Thiva, so Thiva is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Thiva?
Average pay runs 49% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Thiva?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $340 in Thiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Thiva?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $336 in Thiva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Thiva?
All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $1,154 in Thiva – Thiva is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Thiva is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Thiva?
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.
Is Lisbon or Thiva safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Thiva are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Thiva?
It comes down to priorities – Thiva wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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