Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugo and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugo: $1,532 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lugo, Spain
Lisbon, Portugal
Lugo
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,532
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lugo and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lugo and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,532 in Lugo versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Lugo $1,532
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,263 in Lugo versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Lugo $2,263
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,994 in Lugo versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Lugo $2,994
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Lugo costs roughly 31% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lugo 13% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.18 €11.81
$16.65 €14.91
-20.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.4 €49.63
$61.7 €55.3
-10.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.90 €8.86
$11.36 €10.17
-12.85%
Cappuccino
$2.09 €1.87
$2.97 €2.66
-29.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 €2.49
$2.29 €2.05
21.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.74 €1.56
-13.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.26 €2.92
$3.40 €3.05
-4.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$3.31 €2.96
-34.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.16 €1.04
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.91 €1.71
-38.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 €1.18
$1.51 €1.35
-13.25%
Eggs
$2.64 €2.37
$4.02 €3.60
-34.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.63 €12.20
$12.94 €11.59
5.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.32 €5.66
$7.77 €6.96
-18.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.72 €14.97
$17.76 €15.91
-5.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.84 €2.55
$2.30 €2.06
23.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$1.73 €1.55
20.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$1.86 €1.66
22.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.53 €3.16
$2.59 €2.32
36.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.82 €1.63
-39.01%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.98
$1.97 €1.76
12.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.47 €1.32
-2.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$0.72 €0.65
16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.86 €5.25
$6.58 €5.90
-10.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.60 €4.12
$5.61 €5.02
-18.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.36 €1.22
11.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 €2.52
$2.14 €1.91
31.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.74 €0.66
$2.33 €2.09
-68.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.10 €30.54
$44.68 €40.01
-23.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.33 €4.77
$3.85 €3.45
38.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.07 €0.96
27.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.67 €16.72
$16.46 €14.74
13.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.20 €1.97
-21.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K €26.3K
$34.2K €30.6K
-14.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K €27.1K
$38.7K €34.7K
-21.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 €130
$161 €144
-9.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.54 €17.50
$18.41 €16.49
6.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.70 €29.28
$32.74 €29.32
-0.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.61 €39.95
$44.55 €39.90
0.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.78 €14.14
$19.10 €17.10
-17.38%
Cinema Ticket
$8.98 €8.04
$9.60 €8.60
-6.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$343 €307
$668 €598
-48.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,492 €7,606
$17.6K €15.8K
-51.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106 €95.1
$102 €91.4
4.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$73.6 €65.9
$44.46 €39.82
65.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 €111
$98.5 €88.2
25.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$142 €127
$124 €111
14.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$858 €768
$1,608 €1,440
-46.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$563 €504
$1,190 €1,066
-52.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,351 €1,210
$2,812 €2,519
-51.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 €711
$2,013 €1,803
-60.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,293 €2,950
$7,839 €7,021
-57.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,264 €2,028
$4,576 €4,098
-50.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lugo
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,738 €1,557
$1,575 €1,411
10.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.96
3.85
-23.12%

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

Last update for Lugo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lugo
$563
Lisbon
$1.2K 112% $628
Groceries & Markets
Lugo
$261
Lisbon
$272 4.3% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Lugo
$200
Lisbon
$166 17.2% $34
Eating Out
Lugo
$198
Lisbon
$243 22.5% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lugo
$198
Lisbon
$212 7.4% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Lugo
$63
Lisbon
$64 1.9% $1.2
Getting Around
Lugo
$49
Lisbon
$63 28.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $858 in Lugo and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lugo pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55 in Lugo vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $272 per month, with Lugo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Lugo
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
14:48 2:48 PM
13:48 1:48 PM
1 h behind Lugo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
98,214
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lugo Lisbon 490 km
From you
  • Lugo
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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
Lugo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lugo and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,532 in Lugo and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lugo is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lugo or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 10% higher in Lugo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lugo and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $858 in Lugo versus $1,608 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 Lugo and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $343 in Lugo versus $668 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 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,500 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Lugo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lugo 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 Lugo or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lugo and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lugo or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lugo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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