Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaghan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,403 in Monaghan, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Monaghan
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,403
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monaghan 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 Monaghan and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Monaghan versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Monaghan $2,403
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,383 in Monaghan versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Monaghan $3,383
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,363 in Monaghan versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Monaghan $4,363
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Monaghan is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monaghan 78% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.64
$16.50 €14.67
6.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.5 €51.1
$61.3 €54.5
-6.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 €10.74
$11.27 €10.02
7.10%
Cappuccino
$4.33 €3.85
$3.06 €2.72
41.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 €2.50
$2.26 €2.01
24.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.73 €1.54
24.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.85 €6.09
$3.39 €3.02
102.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.76 €6.01
$3.40 €3.02
98.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.12 €1.00
41.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.86 €1.65
17.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.53 €1.36
27.45%
Eggs
$4.29 €3.81
$3.96 €3.53
8.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.10 €8.98
$12.76 €11.35
-20.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.81 €11.40
$7.90 €7.02
62.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.64 €12.13
$16.97 €15.09
-19.62%
Apples (1kg)
$3.07 €2.73
$2.27 €2.02
35.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.75 €1.55
28.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.04 €2.70
$1.85 €1.64
64.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 €4.28
$2.57 €2.28
87.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$1.86 €1.65
11.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 €1.31
$2.02 €1.80
-26.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 €1.15
$1.44 €1.28
-9.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.83
$0.82 €0.73
151.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.42 €18.16
$6.56 €5.83
211.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.17 €11.71
$5.62 €5.00
134.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.93 €2.60
$1.28 €1.14
128.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 €3.16
$2.07 €1.84
71.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.65 €2.36
$2.35 €2.09
12.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.18 €39.29
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.09 €4.53
$3.99 €3.55
27.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.32
$1.09 €0.97
36.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.36 €31.45
$16.64 €14.80
112.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 €1.70
$2.28 €2.03
-16.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.2K €34.8K
$33.7K €30.0K
16.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.7K €33.6K
$39.3K €34.9K
-3.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$236 €210
$167 €149
41.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.05 €16.94
$18.80 €16.72
1.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 €45.76
$33.09 €29.43
55.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 €51.5
$46.01 €40.92
25.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.65 €12.14
$9.84 €8.75
38.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,018 €906
$677 €602
50.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,685 €5,057
$16.9K €15.0K
-66.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.9 €83.5
$101 €90.0
-7.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.80 €40.74
$45.76 €40.70
0.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €97.5
$100.0 €88.9
9.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$123 €109
-0.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,304 €1,160
$1,614 €1,435
-19.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,174 €1,044
$1,197 €1,065
-1.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,213 €1,969
$2,862 €2,545
-22.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,762 €1,567
$1,990 €1,770
-11.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,577 €6,739
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,307 €3,831
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monaghan
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,880 €3,450
$1,588 €1,412
144.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.14
3.85
7.53%

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

Last update for Monaghan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monaghan
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 2% $23
Groceries & Markets
Monaghan
$350
Lisbon
$269 23.1% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monaghan
$307
Lisbon
$219 28.5% $87
Eating Out
Monaghan
$297
Lisbon
$242 18.3% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Monaghan
$167
Lisbon
$166 0.6% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Monaghan
$85
Lisbon
$66 22.9% $20
Getting Around
Monaghan
$23 *
Lisbon
$63 173% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Monaghan and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monaghan pays 144% 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: $57.0 in Monaghan vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Monaghan
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:32 12:32 PM
12:32 12:32 PM
Same time as Monaghan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,700
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monaghan Lisbon 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monaghan
  • Lisbon

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
Monaghan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Monaghan and in Lisbon?
Monaghan and Lisbon differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Monaghan or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 144% higher in Monaghan, 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 Monaghan and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,304 in Monaghan versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Monaghan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monaghan or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $2,403 per month in Monaghan versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,403 in Monaghan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Monaghan. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Monaghan 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 Monaghan or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Monaghan 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: Monaghan or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Monaghan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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