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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,133 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,803 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,472 in Vac.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than in Vac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Vac is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$8.87 Ft 2,820

82.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$45.64 Ft 14.5K

38.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.49 Ft 2,697

21.55%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.11 Ft 671

34.12%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.40 Ft 443

63.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.03 Ft 327

53.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.90 Ft 605

78.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.22 Ft 705

81.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.11 Ft 352

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.54 Ft 490

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.84 Ft 586

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.61 Ft 830

21.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.49 Ft 3,015

38.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.64 Ft 1,791

41.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.68 Ft 3,712

32.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.90 Ft 604

24.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.99 Ft 632

-14.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.96 Ft 624

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.00 Ft 952

-19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.13 Ft 359

55.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.27 Ft 403

59.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.54 Ft 488

24.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.52 Ft 164

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.82 Ft 2,168

-3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.10 Ft 1,621

9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.10 Ft 349

20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.48 Ft 471

100.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.16 Ft 369

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$25.26 Ft 8,028

81.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.94 Ft 935

43.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.15 Ft 367

-29.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$17.38 Ft 5,521

6.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.76 Ft 560

18.18%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$25.6K Ft 8.1M

35.30%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$31.0K Ft 9.8M

26.50%

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

$148 €130

$142 Ft 45.0K

4.49%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$26.91 Ft 8,550

-23.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$19.83 Ft 6,301

99.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$46.75 Ft 14.9K

2.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$16.88 Ft 5,363

10.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.39 Ft 2,348

24.76%

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

$616 €539

$295 Ft 93.7K

109.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,744 Ft 2.1M

143.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$70.4 Ft 22.4K

45.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$27.02 Ft 8,586

54.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$73.8 Ft 23.4K

28.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$85.6 Ft 27.2K

42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$423 Ft 134.5K

285.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$352 Ft 111.9K

249.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$783 Ft 248.9K

295.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$706 Ft 224.2K

187.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,150 Ft 1.0M

148.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,379 Ft 756.0K

84.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,465 Ft 465.6K

9.69%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Vac: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $423 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 10% 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 $46.00 in Vac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $217 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,133 including rent). Vac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $423 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $295 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 $1,133 in Vac versus $2,291 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 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.