Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varadero Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varadero

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,622 in Varadero.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,010 in Varadero.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,399 in Varadero.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than in Varadero, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Varadero 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.86 CUP 141

176.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$48.14 CUP 1,155

31.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.81 CUP 211

17.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$0.98 CUP 23.41

188.78%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.99 CUP 47.68

15.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.99 CUP 23.73

59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.68 CUP 88.3

-7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.54 CUP 61.0

58.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.99 CUP 71.7

-63.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.24 CUP 29.83

41.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.50 CUP 36.03

17.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.41 CUP 57.8

31.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$6.17 CUP 148

113.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.10 CUP 122

56.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.93 CUP 286

30.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.98 CUP 120

-52.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.57 CUP 13.79

200.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.98 CUP 23.46

105.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.14 CUP 27.28

113.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.92 CUP 22.05

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$5.48 CUP 132

-62.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.38 CUP 9.19

405.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.57 CUP 13.75

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.61 CUP 86.5

82.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.66 CUP 136

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.87 CUP 20.92

52.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$0.77 CUP 18.60

285.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$19.93 CUP 478

129.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.06 CUP 49.39

105.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.97 CUP 23.39

-16.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$20.18 CUP 484

-8.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.33 CUP 31.95

56.39%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$68.7K CUP 1.6M

-49.54%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$78.4K CUP 1.9M

-50.07%

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

$148 €130

$39.57 CUP 950

274.15%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$39.46 CUP 947

-48.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$219 CUP 5,245

-81.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$39.75 CUP 954

20.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$15.08 CUP 362

23.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$0.99 CUP 23.68

831.31%

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

$616 €539

$90.8 CUP 2,178

578.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$15.1K CUP 361.5K

9.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$39.74 CUP 954

158.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$30.60 CUP 734

36.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$74.0 CUP 1,776

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$86.2 CUP 2,069

41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$407 CUP 9,766

301.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$796 CUP 19.1K

54.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,200 CUP 28.8K

158.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$640 CUP 15.3K

217.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$389 CUP 9,342

1911.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$355 CUP 8,529

1135.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$19.38 CUP 465

8193.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-74.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Varadero: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $407 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 8193% 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 $48.00 in Varadero for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $215 per month, with Varadero 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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varadero differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,622 including rent). Varadero is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8193% 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 $407 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $90.8 in Varadero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,622 in Varadero versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varadero but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varadero 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 Varadero 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 Varadero gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.