Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wels Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wels

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,979 in Wels.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,892 in Wels.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,806 in Wels.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 12% more expensive than Wels, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Wels 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$17.50 €15.06

-9.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$72.9 €62.7

-11.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$12.20 €10.49

-13.85%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.59 €3.95

-37.47%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$4.28 €3.68

-47.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.06 €2.63

-50.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$5.34 €4.60

-34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.82 €4.15

-19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.46 €1.25

-21.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.06 €2.64

-42.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.25 €1.93

-21.78%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.46 €2.98

-6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$25.11 €21.60

-46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$13.99 €12.04

-43.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$21.37 €18.38

-25.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.94 €2.53

-21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.84 €1.58

-7.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.58 €2.22

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.80 €2.40

-12.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.06 €1.77

-10.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.67 €1.44

19.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.79 €1.54

7.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.78 €0.67

1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$7.30 €6.28

-9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.24 €7.95

-38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.84 €0.72

63.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.66 €1.43

78.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.74 €2.36

-13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$28.74 €24.72

58.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$6.77 €5.82

-36.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.14 €1.84

-61.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$34.77 €29.91

-47.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.71 €1.47

20.47%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.3K €25.2K

16.99%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$35.8K €30.8K

9.65%

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

$148 €127

$362 €312

-59.20%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$22.62 €19.46

-9.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$34.13 €29.36

16.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$40.47 €34.81

18.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$34.47 €29.65

-45.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$14.04 €12.07

-34.62%

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

$614 €528

$912 €785

-32.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,327 €6,303

119.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$132 €114

-21.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$50.4 €43.38

-16.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$121 €104

-22.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$139 €120

-13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$685 €589

137.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$575 €495

118.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,156 €995

162.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$815 €701

148.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$3,186 €2,741

-49.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

27.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Wels: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $685 in Wels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wels pays 99% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $73.0 in Wels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $380 per month, with Lisbon 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 Wels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wels differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,979 including rent). Wels is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Wels earns 99% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $685 in Wels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $912 in Wels. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,979 in Wels versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Wels but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wels 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 Wels 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 Wels gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.