Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Trieste

For one person, living is cheaper in Trieste: $1,885 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Trieste
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Trieste Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Trieste

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Trieste

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 Trieste actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,885 in Trieste.

Lisbon $2,210
Trieste $1,885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,827 in Trieste.

Lisbon $3,275
Trieste $2,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,768 in Trieste.

Lisbon $4,341
Trieste $3,768

Living in Lisbon is roughly 17% more expensive than in Trieste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Trieste 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$21.99 €19.70

-24.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$66.4 €59.5

-7.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.62 €10.42

-2.24%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.20 €1.97

35.00%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.74 €3.35

-38.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.06 €1.85

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$6.59 €5.91

-48.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$5.44 €4.87

-39.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.21 €1.98

-47.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.21 €2.88

-40.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.74 €3.35

-59.63%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$4.13 €3.71

-2.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$14.97 €13.41

-13.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$11.40 €10.22

-31.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$17.03 €15.26

4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.87 €2.57

-19.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.18 €1.96

-20.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.99 €2.68

-37.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.68 €4.20

-44.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.60 €2.33

-30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.68 €2.40

-26.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.31 €2.07

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.77 €0.69

-6.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.61 €5.92

-0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$7.78 €6.98

-27.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.84 €1.65

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.48 €2.22

-13.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.64 €1.47

42.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$44.10 €39.52

1.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$8.85 €7.93

-56.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.87 €1.68

-42.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$33.07 €29.63

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.22 €1.99

-0.90%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$36.2K €32.5K

-5.61%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$37.6K €33.7K

3.10%

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

$161 €144

$218 €195

-25.95%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$9.94 €8.91

85.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$30.67 €27.49

6.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$47.99 €43.01

-7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$40.76 €36.53

-53.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$9.06 €8.12

5.96%

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

$668 €598

$753 €675

-11.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$11.7K €10.5K

50.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$109 €98.0

-6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$34.06 €30.52

30.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$112 €100.0

-11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$134 €120

-7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$791 €709

103.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$650 €583

83.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,368 €1,226

105.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$997 €894

101.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$3,746 €3,357

109.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,286 €2,048

100.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,911 €1,713

-17.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.26

18.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Trieste: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Trieste

$650 34.5% 45.4% $540

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Trieste

$363 19.2% 33.2% $90

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Trieste

$304 16.1% 25.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Trieste

$258 13.7% 21.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Trieste

$175 9.3% 5.4% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Trieste

$66 3.5% 3.7% $2.4

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Trieste

$69 3.7% 9% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $791 in Trieste. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trieste pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $66 in Trieste for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $363 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇹 Trieste

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

200,609

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Trieste 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Trieste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,885 in Trieste, so Trieste is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $791 in Trieste. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,885 in Trieste – Trieste is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Trieste gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Trieste delivers better value at $1,885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Trieste hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Trieste are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.