Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vac Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,122 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,777 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,431 in Vac.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than Vac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Vac is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.80 Ft 2,685

80.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$46.58 Ft 14.2K

39.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.45 Ft 2,577

24.38%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.14 Ft 653

34.11%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.44 Ft 438

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.08 Ft 329

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.89 Ft 577

84.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.28 Ft 694

70.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.06 Ft 324

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.54 Ft 471

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.92 Ft 585

-8.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.69 Ft 820

19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.15 Ft 2,790

47.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.83 Ft 1,777

35.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.88 Ft 3,625

33.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.87 Ft 571

23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.89 Ft 577

-10.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.04 Ft 623

-1.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.12 Ft 952

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.10 Ft 335

67.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.25 Ft 382

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.50 Ft 457

28.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.56 Ft 172

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.65 Ft 2,029

-0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.44 Ft 1,658

5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.09 Ft 333

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.41 Ft 431

110.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.14 Ft 347

107.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$24.88 Ft 7,588

83.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.97 Ft 904

44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.11 Ft 337

-26.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$17.31 Ft 5,280

5.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.77 Ft 539

16.38%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.2K Ft 8.0M

30.66%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.6K Ft 9.3M

28.52%

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

$148 €127

$141 Ft 42.9K

5.10%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$26.12 Ft 7,965

-21.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$19.74 Ft 6,021

100.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$47.11 Ft 14.4K

1.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.98 Ft 5,177

11.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.29 Ft 2,224

25.93%

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

$614 €528

$300 Ft 91.4K

104.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,697 Ft 2.0M

139.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$71.0 Ft 21.7K

47.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$27.75 Ft 8,463

51.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$73.4 Ft 22.4K

28.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$84.9 Ft 25.9K

41.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$436 Ft 132.8K

273.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$341 Ft 104.1K

267.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$766 Ft 233.7K

295.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$705 Ft 215.1K

186.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,233 Ft 985.9K

141.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,480 Ft 756.4K

72.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,534 Ft 468.0K

4.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.4

-48.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Vac: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $436 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 4% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Vac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $219 per month, with Vac 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 Vac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Vac differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,122 including rent). Vac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 4% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $436 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $300 in Vac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,122 in Vac versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vac but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vac 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 Vac 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 Vac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.