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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,348 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,319 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,291 in Vac.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 72% more expensive than in Vac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Vac is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$19.74 Ft 6,259

-12.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$116 Ft 36.7K

-45.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$9.76 Ft 3,094

16.70%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.43 Ft 771

31.28%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.58 Ft 500

55.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.23 Ft 391

43.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$2.17 Ft 688

65.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$2.36 Ft 749

43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.38 Ft 437

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.46 Ft 465

35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.36 Ft 748

-35.59%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$3.42 Ft 1,084

18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$8.53 Ft 2,704

58.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$6.30 Ft 1,997

33.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$16.79 Ft 5,323

8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.96 Ft 621

16.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.09 Ft 663

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.09 Ft 664

-11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.50 Ft 794

5.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.65 Ft 525

16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.20 Ft 381

74.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.40 Ft 443

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.51 Ft 162

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$8.12 Ft 2,575

-16.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$5.27 Ft 1,670

8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.92 Ft 291

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.31 Ft 732

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.10 Ft 350

118.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$27.48 Ft 8,714

70.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$3.25 Ft 1,031

28.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.29 Ft 411

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$19.63 Ft 6,225

-9.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.93 Ft 611

20.21%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$29.7K Ft 9.4M

19.08%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$35.7K Ft 11.3M

16.09%

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

$170 €147

$156 Ft 49.6K

8.96%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$25.67 Ft 8,138

-24.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$22.13 Ft 7,017

52.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$46.28 Ft 14.7K

3.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$19.07 Ft 6,048

4.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$8.39 Ft 2,661

18.24%

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

$717 €619

$262 Ft 83.2K

173.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$8,643 Ft 2.7M

102.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$90.7 Ft 28.8K

15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$31.39 Ft 9,954

49.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$80.0 Ft 25.4K

29.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$108 Ft 34.2K

14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$526 Ft 166.9K

218.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$413 Ft 131.0K

207.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$851 Ft 269.9K

250.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$804 Ft 254.8K

147.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$3,061 Ft 970.5K

155.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$2,666 Ft 845.4K

74.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$1,462 Ft 463.6K

8.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.68

-43.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Vac: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $526 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 8% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $116 in Vac. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $241, with Vac cheaper for home cooking.

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 72% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,348 including rent). Vac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $526 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $262 in Vac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,348 in Vac versus $2,316 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 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.