For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Loja and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $676 in Loja versus $2,223 in Lisbon.
Loja $676
Lisbon $2,223
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,067 in Loja versus $3,271 in Lisbon.
Loja $1,067
Lisbon $3,271
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,459 in Loja versus $4,319 in Lisbon.
Loja $1,459
Lisbon $4,319
🌍
Living in Loja costs roughly 70% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Loja is 50% below, Lisbon is 65% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.08$3.08
$16.50€14.67
-81.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.71$20.71
$61.3€54.5
-66.19%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.44$5.44
$11.27€10.03
-51.73%
Cappuccino
$2.22$2.22
$3.06€2.72
-27.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77$0.77
$2.26€2.01
-65.93%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45$0.45
$1.73€1.54
-73.99%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.22$1.22
$3.39€3.02
-64.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17$3.17
$3.40€3.02
-6.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.99$0.99
$1.12€1.00
-11.61%
White Bread(500g)
$1.51$1.51
$1.86€1.65
-18.82%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.32$1.32
$1.53€1.36
-13.73%
Eggs
$1.92$1.92
$3.96€3.53
-51.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.79$5.79
$12.76€11.35
-54.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.15$4.15
$7.90€7.02
-47.47%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.96$5.96
$16.97€15.09
-64.88%
Apples(1kg)
$1.69$1.69
$2.27€2.02
-25.55%
Banana(1kg)
$1.05$1.05
$1.75€1.55
-40.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.18$1.18
$1.85€1.64
-36.22%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.07$1.07
$2.57€2.28
-58.37%
Potato(1kg)
$1.06$1.06
$1.86€1.65
-43.01%
Onion(1kg)
$1.07$1.07
$2.02€1.80
-47.03%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.51$0.51
$1.44€1.28
-64.58%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13$1.13
$0.82€0.73
37.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.23$5.23
$6.56€5.83
-20.27%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.86$6.86
$5.62€5.00
22.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52$1.52
$1.28€1.14
18.75%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05$3.05
$2.07€1.84
47.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.31$0.31
$2.35€2.09
-86.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$30.33$30.33
$44.18€39.30
-31.35%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.27$1.27
$3.99€3.55
-68.17%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.09$1.09
$1.09€0.97
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$9.88$9.88
$16.64€14.81
-40.63%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.78$0.78
$2.28€2.03
-65.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$14.8K$14.8K
$33.7K€30.0K
-55.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.7K$28.7K
$39.3K€35.0K
-26.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$19.65$19.65
$167€149
-88.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.63$11.63
$18.80€16.72
-38.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.57$26.57
$33.09€29.43
-19.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.27$30.27
$46.01€40.93
-34.21%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.88$14.88
$19.19€17.07
-22.46%
Cinema Ticket
$7.46$7.46
$9.84€8.75
-24.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$183$183
$677€602
-72.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,017$2,017
$16.9K€15.1K
-88.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8$52.8
$101€90.1
-47.86%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.03$47.03
$45.76€40.70
2.78%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$79.1$79.1
$100.0€88.9
-20.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.2$71.2
$123€109
-42.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$237$237
$1,614€1,436
-85.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$170$170
$1,197€1,065
-85.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$389$389
$2,862€2,545
-86.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$310$310
$1,990€1,770
-84.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$554$554
$7,577€6,740
-92.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$323$323
$4,307€3,831
-92.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Loja
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$496$496
$1,588€1,412
-68.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.5
3.85
120.78%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Loja: October 12, 2026
Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Loja
$170 25.2%
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.9% ↑ 604%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Loja
$167 24.7%
Lisbon
$269 12.1% ↑ 61.1%$102
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Loja
$113 16.7%
Lisbon
$166 7.5% ↑ 47.8%$54
🍽Eating Out
Loja
$85 12.6%
Lisbon
$242 10.9% ↑ 185%$157
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Loja
$58 8.6%
Lisbon
$219 9.9% ↑ 279%$162
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Loja
$45 6.7%
Lisbon
$66 3% ↑ 45.4%$21
🚌Getting Around
Loja
$38 5.7%
Lisbon
$63 2.8% ↑ 64.7%$25
🏠Accommodation & Living
Loja
$310 21.3%
Lisbon
$2K 46.1% ↑ 542%$1.7K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Loja
$377 25.9%
Lisbon
$642 14.9% ↑ 70.1%$265
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Loja
$250 17.2%
Lisbon
$370 8.6% ↑ 47.8%$120
🍽Eating Out
Loja
$269 18.5%
Lisbon
$798 18.5% ↑ 196%$528
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Loja
$69 4.8%
Lisbon
$238 5.5% ↑ 243%$169
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Loja
$105 7.2%
Lisbon
$151 3.5% ↑ 43%$45
🚌Getting Around
Loja
$77 5.3%
Lisbon
$131 3% ↑ 69.4%$54
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $237 in Loja and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays 220% 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: $21.00 in Loja vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $269 per month, with Loja cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
Loja vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Loja and in Lisbon?
Loja and Lisbon differ by about 229% in total monthly costs ($676 vs $2,223 including rent). Loja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 220% 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 Loja and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $237 in Loja versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Loja and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $183 in Loja versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $676 in Loja versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Loja but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Loja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Loja and Lisbon?
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 Loja or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Loja and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Loja or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Loja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 229% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.