Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vigo

For one person, living is cheaper in Vigo: $1,711 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Vigo, Spain
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Vigo
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,711
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Vigo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Vigo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,711 in Vigo.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Vigo $1,711

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $2,500 in Vigo.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Vigo $2,500

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,289 in Vigo.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Vigo $3,289

Living in Lisbon is roughly 29% more expensive than in Vigo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Vigo 27% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.04
$14.31 €12.76
17.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.5
$56.0 €49.94
9.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.80
$11.12 €9.92
-1.26%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$2.05 €1.83
48.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.04
$2.63 €2.34
-13.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.51 €1.35
11.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.07
$3.26 €2.91
5.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$4.53 €4.04
-13.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.20 €1.07
-4.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.31 €1.17
44.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.86 €1.65
-19.35%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.67
$3.92 €3.50
5.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.60
$14.80 €13.20
-12.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.18
$8.02 €7.15
0.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.96
$17.49 €15.61
2.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$2.20 €1.96
3.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.71 €2.41
-35.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.43 €2.17
-25.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$2.47 €2.21
8.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.46 €1.30
21.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.55 €1.39
25.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.36 €1.21
7.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$0.79 €0.70
-3.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.94
$6.40 €5.71
4.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.03
$7.97 €7.11
-29.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$2.16 €1.93
-40.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.91 €2.60
-26.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.78 €1.59
29.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.26
$39.64 €35.36
11.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$4.63 €4.13
-14.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$1.26 €1.12
-49.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.88
$26.84 €23.94
-29.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.88 €1.68
21.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.8K
$35.9K €32.0K
-7.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$31.8K €28.4K
21.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$170 €152
-7.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.64
$20.32 €18.12
-13.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.82
$39.52 €35.25
-21.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.82
$44.61 €39.79
0.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.93
$36.48 €32.54
-47.97%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.54
$14.28 €12.74
-32.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €601
$571 €510
17.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$8,358 €7,455
124.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.2
$79.5 €71.0
28.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.94
$44.98 €40.12
2.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.2
$93.5 €83.4
9.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$166 €148
-26.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,463
$903 €805
81.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,059
$674 €601
76.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,519
$1,401 €1,250
101.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,800
$961 €857
110.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,989
$2,953 €2,634
165.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,193
$1,891 €1,687
148.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Vigo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,505
$2,038 €1,818
-17.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
3.62
5.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Vigo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Vigo
$674 43.2% $513
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Vigo
$289 5.4% $15
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Vigo
$214 12.6% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Vigo
$230 11.2% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Vigo
$173 3.1% $5.1
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Vigo
$73 14.7% $9.4
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Vigo
$58 4.5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $903 in Vigo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vigo pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $56 in Vigo. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $289, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇸 Vigo
🕒 Local time
11:23 11:23 AM
12:23 12:23 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
293,652
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Vigo 390 km
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  • Lisbon
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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 Vigo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Vigo?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,711 in Vigo, so Vigo is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Vigo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $903 in Vigo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Vigo?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $571 in Vigo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Vigo?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Vigo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Vigo?
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.
Is Lisbon or Vigo safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Vigo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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