Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wells Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wells

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,278 in Wells.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,372 in Wells.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,466 in Wells.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Wells, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Wells 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$27.44 £20.43

-42.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$78.5 £58.5

-17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.49 £8.56

-8.53%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.94 £3.68

-41.90%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.28 £1.70

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.35 £1.75

-36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$7.30 £5.43

-52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.99 £5.21

-44.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.53 £1.14

-25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.34 £1.00

30.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.99 £1.48

-11.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.97 £2.96

-18.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$9.72 £7.24

38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.00 £3.73

58.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.21 £9.09

29.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.41 £1.80

-4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.20 £0.89

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.20 £1.64

-8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.96 £2.20

-16.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.67 £0.50

174.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.22 £0.91

63.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.60 £0.45

221.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.38 £1.03

-42.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$17.62 £13.12

-62.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.22 £6.87

-37.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.65 £1.97

-48.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.73 £2.04

8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.71 £2.76

-36.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$85.2 £63.4

-46.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.44 £3.31

-3.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.03 £0.77

-20.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$32.28 £24.04

-43.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.95 £1.45

5.64%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.2K £28.4K

-10.16%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$41.1K £30.6K

-4.44%

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

$148 €127

$337 £251

-56.11%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.83 £10.30

48.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$40.86 £30.43

-3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$53.6 £39.93

-10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.31 £6.93

-1.40%

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

$614 €529

$1,549 £1,154

-60.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$18.2K £13.5K

-11.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$37.34 £27.81

180.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$52.7 £39.22

-20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$61.7 £45.96

52.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$103 £76.6

16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,206 £898

34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,008 £750

24.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,046 £1,524

48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,603 £1,194

26.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$5,890 £4,387

32.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.62

-32.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Wells: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,206 in Wells. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $79.0 in Wells. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $247, with Wells 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 Wells: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wells differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,278 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $3,417 in Wells to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,206 in Wells. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $1,549 in Wells. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Wells pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,278 in Wells, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Wells. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Wells 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Wells. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.