Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Victoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Victoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Lisbon versus $1,978 in Victoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,446 in Lisbon versus $3,142 in Victoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,537 in Lisbon versus $4,305 in Victoria.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 19% more expensive than in Victoria, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 73% above, Victoria 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 €14.83

$17.72 SCR 255

-3.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €54.9

$50.6 SCR 728

25.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €9.92

$12.12 SCR 175

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.69

$4.02 SCR 57.9

-22.64%

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

$2.41 €2.08

$2.29 SCR 32.92

5.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.41

$2.65 SCR 38.11

-38.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.92

$3.87 SCR 55.8

-12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €2.98

$3.67 SCR 52.9

-5.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.93 SCR 27.74

-37.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.71 SCR 24.56

13.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.55 SCR 36.74

-40.78%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.45

$3.83 SCR 55.1

4.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.39

$31.24 SCR 450

-57.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 €6.91

$6.18 SCR 89.0

29.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 €14.60

$12.08 SCR 174

39.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.02

$2.20 SCR 31.68

5.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.71 SCR 38.98

-33.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.35 SCR 33.89

-16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$6.05 SCR 87.1

-57.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.88 SCR 27.01

2.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.85 SCR 26.63

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.48 SCR 21.31

0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.29 SCR 18.57

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.15

$22.85 SCR 329

-68.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.12

$10.21 SCR 147

-42.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$4.28 SCR 61.6

-67.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.85

$5.44 SCR 78.3

-60.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.13

$0.68 SCR 9.83

261.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.67 €39.46

$33.08 SCR 476

38.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.36 €15.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.54 SCR 22.18

46.75%

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

$34.1K €29.5K

$26.2K SCR 376.9K

30.33%

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

$40.8K €35.3K

$32.3K SCR 464.7K

26.51%

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

$173 €150

$136 SCR 1,956

27.51%

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

$19.21 €16.60

$42.10 SCR 606

-54.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.09 €29.46

$135 SCR 1,947

-74.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 €41.21

$77.3 SCR 1,113

-38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 €16.94

$7.80 SCR 112

151.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 €8.60

$7.20 SCR 104

38.19%

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

$706 €610

$139 SCR 2,007

406.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$8,559 SCR 123.3K

103.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.3

$37.17 SCR 535

193.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.13 €40.73

$24.28 SCR 350

94.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.4

$88.4 SCR 1,273

22.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$101 SCR 1,456

26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,441

$928 SCR 13.4K

79.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,113

$808 SCR 11.6K

59.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 €2,520

$2,212 SCR 31.8K

31.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 €1,786

$1,744 SCR 25.1K

18.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,760 €6,705

$432 SCR 6,214

1698.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,446 €3,842

$1,107 SCR 15.9K

301.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,679 €1,450

$924 SCR 13.3K

81.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

-69.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 9, 2026

Last update for Victoria: August 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Lisbon and $928 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 82% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Victoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $373, with Lisbon 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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Victoria differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,978 including rent). Victoria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $1,668 in Lisbon versus $928 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Lisbon versus $139 in Victoria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,978 in Victoria versus $2,356 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Victoria but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Victoria 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 Victoria 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 Victoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.