Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tres Cantos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tres Cantos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,732 in Tres Cantos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,493 in Tres Cantos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,254 in Tres Cantos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than in Tres Cantos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Tres Cantos 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$17.57 €15.31

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$59.0 €51.4

6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$11.82 €10.29

-2.03%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.43 €2.12

27.57%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.48 €2.16

0.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.86 €1.62

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.51 €3.06

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.71 €3.23

-7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.22 €1.06

-5.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.44 €1.26

32.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.69 €1.47

-11.24%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.37 €2.94

18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$14.19 €12.36

-6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$8.22 €7.16

-2.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$16.46 €14.34

9.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.55 €2.22

-7.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.07 €1.80

-15.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.22 €1.93

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.59 €2.26

-1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.92 €1.67

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.17 €1.89

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.43 €1.25

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.78 €0.68

5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.51 €5.68

9.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.85 €5.10

1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.26 €1.10

3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.17 €1.89

-1.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.68 €1.46

40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$33.72 €29.38

38.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$4.15 €3.62

-1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.38 €1.20

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$24.11 €21.00

-29.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.73 €1.51

33.53%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$36.9K €32.2K

-7.55%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$30.7K €26.7K

34.82%

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

$169 €147

$154 €134

9.36%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$18.67 €16.27

3.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$31.40 €27.35

6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$45.72 €39.83

6.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$16.97 €14.78

14.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.05 €8.75

-4.78%

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

$696 €606

$491 €428

41.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$8,884 €7,740

95.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$87.3 €76.0

20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$36.90 €32.15

29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$93.2 €81.2

7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$111 €96.3

12.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$928 €808

79.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$702 €611

77.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$1,410 €1,228

110.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$1,052 €916

94.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$3,384 €2,949

131.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$2,330 €2,030

91.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$3,347 €2,916

-51.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.3

14.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tres Cantos: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $928 in Tres Cantos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tres Cantos pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $59.0 in Tres Cantos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $274 per month, with Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tres Cantos differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,732 including rent). Tres Cantos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Tres Cantos. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $928 in Tres Cantos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $491 in Tres Cantos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,732 in Tres Cantos versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tres Cantos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.