Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavia and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavia and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,698 in Pavia versus $2,258 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,757 in Pavia versus $3,328 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,817 in Pavia versus $4,397 in Lisbon.

Living in Pavia costs roughly 25% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pavia 26% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 โ‚ฌ14.96
$15.82 โ‚ฌ13.46
11.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.6 โ‚ฌ68.6
$64.4 โ‚ฌ54.8
25.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 โ‚ฌ8.09
$10.37 โ‚ฌ8.82
-8.39%
Cappuccino
$1.76 โ‚ฌ1.50
$2.89 โ‚ฌ2.46
-39.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 โ‚ฌ3.07
$2.23 โ‚ฌ1.90
61.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 โ‚ฌ1.51
$1.55 โ‚ฌ1.32
14.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.86 โ‚ฌ4.99
$3.38 โ‚ฌ2.88
73.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.87 โ‚ฌ4.99
$3.90 โ‚ฌ3.32
50.51%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 โ‚ฌ1.44
$1.12 โ‚ฌ0.96
51.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.27 โ‚ฌ2.79
$1.80 โ‚ฌ1.53
81.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 โ‚ฌ2.41
$1.75 โ‚ฌ1.49
61.71%
Eggs
$3.75 โ‚ฌ3.19
$3.17 โ‚ฌ2.70
18.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.83 โ‚ฌ20.28
$13.50 โ‚ฌ11.49
76.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.23 โ‚ฌ8.71
$7.79 โ‚ฌ6.63
31.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$34.51 โ‚ฌ29.37
$15.65 โ‚ฌ13.32
120.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.64 โ‚ฌ2.25
$2.28 โ‚ฌ1.94
15.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.33 โ‚ฌ1.98
$1.71 โ‚ฌ1.46
36.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.24 โ‚ฌ2.76
$1.93 โ‚ฌ1.65
67.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 โ‚ฌ3.65
$2.52 โ‚ฌ2.15
70.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.19 โ‚ฌ1.86
$1.79 โ‚ฌ1.52
22.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.90 โ‚ฌ2.47
$2.05 โ‚ฌ1.74
41.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 โ‚ฌ1.84
$1.94 โ‚ฌ1.65
11.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 โ‚ฌ0.62
$0.81 โ‚ฌ0.69
-9.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.07 โ‚ฌ6.02
$6.65 โ‚ฌ5.66
6.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.47 โ‚ฌ3.81
$5.79 โ‚ฌ4.92
-22.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 โ‚ฌ1.53
$1.33 โ‚ฌ1.14
35.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 โ‚ฌ1.22
$2.91 โ‚ฌ2.47
-50.86%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.78 โ‚ฌ1.51
$2.35 โ‚ฌ2.00
-24.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.07 โ‚ฌ34.10
$45.70 โ‚ฌ38.89
-12.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.58 โ‚ฌ3.89
$4.20 โ‚ฌ3.58
9.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 โ‚ฌ0.98
$0.81 โ‚ฌ0.69
41.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.67 โ‚ฌ30.35
$18.70 โ‚ฌ15.91
90.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 โ‚ฌ1.77
$2.09 โ‚ฌ1.78
-0.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K โ‚ฌ33.2K
$34.6K โ‚ฌ29.5K
12.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K โ‚ฌ30.6K
$39.7K โ‚ฌ33.7K
-9.45%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 โ‚ฌ186
$146 โ‚ฌ124
49.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.53 โ‚ฌ11.52
$20.84 โ‚ฌ17.73
-35.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.07 โ‚ฌ23.03
$39.78 โ‚ฌ33.85
-31.95%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 โ‚ฌ44.48
$48.58 โ‚ฌ41.35
7.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.33 โ‚ฌ24.96
$18.85 โ‚ฌ16.04
55.60%
Cinema Ticket
$12.54 โ‚ฌ10.68
$9.07 โ‚ฌ7.72
38.26%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$615 โ‚ฌ523
$618 โ‚ฌ526
-0.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,626 โ‚ฌ5,638
$16.2K โ‚ฌ13.8K
-59.00%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 โ‚ฌ93.9
$105 โ‚ฌ89.0
5.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.6 โ‚ฌ45.65
$40.54 โ‚ฌ34.50
32.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.9 โ‚ฌ73.1
$93.8 โ‚ฌ79.8
-8.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 โ‚ฌ107
$123 โ‚ฌ104
2.77%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$793 โ‚ฌ675
$1,604 โ‚ฌ1,365
-50.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$478 โ‚ฌ406
$1,260 โ‚ฌ1,073
-62.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,087 โ‚ฌ925
$3,065 โ‚ฌ2,608
-64.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$965 โ‚ฌ821
$2,008 โ‚ฌ1,709
-51.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,602 โ‚ฌ3,065
$7,702 โ‚ฌ6,555
-53.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,221 โ‚ฌ1,890
$4,367 โ‚ฌ3,716
-49.13%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Pavia
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,224 โ‚ฌ1,893
$1,638 โ‚ฌ1,394
35.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.21
3.81
10.50%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Pavia: April 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $793 in Pavia and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pavia pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81 in Pavia vs $64 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $268 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
Pavia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Pavia and Lisbon?
Pavia and Lisbon differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,698 vs $2,258 including rent). Pavia is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Pavia or Lisbon?
Pavia pays 36% more on average, 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 Pavia and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $793 in Pavia versus $1,604 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 Pavia and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $615 in Pavia versus $618 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?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 54% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,698 in Pavia versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pavia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pavia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Pavia and Lisbon?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Pavia or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Pavia 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: Pavia or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Pavia gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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