Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vilcabamba Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vilcabamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $940 in Vilcabamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,457 in Vilcabamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,975 in Vilcabamba.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 143% more expensive than in Vilcabamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Vilcabamba is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.19 $3.19

393.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$35.49 $35.49

78.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.63 $7.63

36.96%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.17 $2.17

34.10%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.98 $0.98

133.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.88 $0.88

70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.98 $1.98

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.55 $3.55

11.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.91 $0.91

18.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.02 $2.02

-12.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.34 $1.34

26.87%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.26 $2.26

43.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.48 $7.48

77.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$5.84 $5.84

31.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.06 $7.06

123.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.55 $2.55

-10.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.21 $1.21

37.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.72 $1.72

17.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.04 $1.04

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.02 $1.02

75.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.03 $1.03

100.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.78 $0.78

152.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.01 $1.01

-17.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.43 $6.43

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$11.14 $11.14

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.60 $1.60

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.48 $2.48

21.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.33 $0.33

587.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$24.35 $24.35

90.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.52 $1.52

178.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.96 $0.96

-11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$10.17 $10.17

85.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.65 $0.65

210.77%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$19.7K $19.7K

77.76%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$27.0K $27.0K

46.65%

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

$148 €128

$57.3 $57.3

158.17%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$13.40 $13.40

53.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$35.18 $35.18

12.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$29.98 $29.98

60.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$14.69 $14.69

25.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$7.31 $7.31

24.49%

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

$615 €532

$259 $259

137.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,641 $5,641

188.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$80.2 $80.2

26.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$20.07 $20.07

109.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$96.4 $96.4

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$74.7 $74.7

63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$339 $339

375.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$324 $324

286.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$633 $633

384.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$585 $585

248.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,188 $1,188

552.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$800 $800

435.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$464 $464

245.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.6

-64.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $339 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 246% 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 $35.00 in Vilcabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $204 per month, with Vilcabamba 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 Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Vilcabamba differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $940 including rent). Vilcabamba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 246% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $339 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $259 in Vilcabamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $940 in Vilcabamba versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vilcabamba but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vilcabamba 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 Vilcabamba 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 Vilcabamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.