Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zaragoza Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zaragoza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,777 in Zaragoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,608 in Zaragoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,438 in Zaragoza.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 29% more expensive than in Zaragoza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Zaragoza 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$17.07 €14.93

-5.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$58.4 €51.1

8.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$10.63 €9.30

-2.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.18 €1.91

29.82%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$3.05 €2.67

-24.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.88 €1.64

-15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.25 €3.72

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.53 €3.09

14.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.38 €1.21

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.37 €2.07

-26.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.21 €1.06

45.45%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.59 €2.26

22.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$17.07 €14.94

-22.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.78 €6.81

2.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$21.07 €18.43

-26.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.64 €2.31

-10.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.07 €1.81

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.53 €2.21

-20.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.46 €3.02

-29.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.08 €1.82

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.35 €2.06

-13.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.90 €1.66

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.78 €0.68

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.41 €5.61

2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$4.42 €3.86

26.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.17 €1.02

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.40 €2.10

23.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.76 €1.54

29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$34.90 €30.54

31.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.38 €2.08

77.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.00 €0.88

-19.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$30.88 €27.02

-40.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.81 €1.59

14.92%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$38.3K €33.5K

-9.38%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$30.5K €26.7K

28.43%

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

$148 €130

$114 €100

29.46%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$20.72 €18.13

-1.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$36.13 €31.61

9.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$41.27 €36.11

16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$11.08 €9.69

67.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.95 €8.71

-7.34%

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

$616 €539

$515 €450

19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,340 €7,297

97.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$74.6 €65.3

37.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$42.02 €36.77

-0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$89.7 €78.5

5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$111 €96.9

10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$861 €753

89.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$794 €694

55.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,125 €984

175.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,173 €1,026

73.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,213 €2,811

143.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,960 €1,715

123.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,986 €1,737

-19.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.75

1.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $861 in Zaragoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zaragoza pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Zaragoza. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $306, 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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zaragoza differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,777 including rent). Zaragoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Zaragoza. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $861 in Zaragoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $515 in Zaragoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,777 in Zaragoza versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.