Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portlaoise and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,347 in Portlaoise, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Portlaoise despite lower rent and utilities.

Portlaoise
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,347
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Portlaoise versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Portlaoise $2,347
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,746 in Portlaoise versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Portlaoise $3,746
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,145 in Portlaoise versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Portlaoise $5,145
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Portlaoise is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portlaoise 74% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.70 €20.19
$16.50 €14.67
37.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.5 €69.8
$61.3 €54.5
28.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.72 €11.31
$11.27 €10.02
12.87%
Cappuccino
$4.40 €3.91
$3.06 €2.72
43.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.26 €2.01
10.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.73 €1.54
-1.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.60 €5.87
$3.39 €3.02
94.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 €5.44
$3.40 €3.02
80.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.12 €1.00
52.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 €2.00
$1.86 €1.65
20.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.53 €1.36
21.57%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$3.96 €3.53
16.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.04 €12.48
$12.76 €11.35
10.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.88 €11.45
$7.90 €7.02
63.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.74 €14.89
$16.97 €15.09
-1.36%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 €2.95
$2.27 €2.02
46.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.94 €2.62
$1.75 €1.55
68.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 €2.90
$1.85 €1.64
76.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.86 €4.32
$2.57 €2.28
89.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.86 €1.65
24.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.02 €1.80
-14.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.44 €1.28
-4.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$0.82 €0.73
156.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.38 €18.12
$6.56 €5.83
210.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.49 €12.00
$5.62 €5.00
140.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.10 €3.64
$1.28 €1.14
220.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 €3.21
$2.07 €1.84
74.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.66 €4.14
$2.35 €2.09
98.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.08 €39.21
$44.18 €39.29
-0.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.23 €4.65
$3.99 €3.55
31.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.09 €0.97
42.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.30 €29.62
$16.64 €14.80
100.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.80
$2.28 €2.03
-10.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K €34.5K
$33.7K €30.0K
15.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.0K €33.8K
$39.3K €34.9K
-3.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$239 €212
$167 €149
42.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.79 €19.38
$18.80 €16.72
15.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.6 €49.40
$33.09 €29.43
67.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.3 €49.22
$46.01 €40.92
20.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.45 €11.96
$9.84 €8.75
36.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,072 €953
$677 €602
58.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,427 €4,827
$16.9K €15.0K
-67.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.5 €84.0
$101 €90.0
-6.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.66 €37.94
$45.76 €40.70
-6.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.2
$100.0 €88.9
8.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$123 €109
-1.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,229 €1,093
$1,614 €1,435
-23.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$984 €875
$1,197 €1,065
-17.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,264 €2,014
$2,862 €2,545
-20.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,151 €1,913
$1,990 €1,770
8.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,577 €6,739
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,307 €3,831
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portlaoise
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,785 €2,477
$1,588 €1,412
75.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.5
3.85
-9.09%

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

Last update for Portlaoise: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Portlaoise
$984
Lisbon
$1.2K 21.7% $213
Groceries & Markets
Portlaoise
$390
Lisbon
$269 30.9% $120
Eating Out
Portlaoise
$335
Lisbon
$242 27.6% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portlaoise
$316
Lisbon
$219 30.6% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Portlaoise
$165
Lisbon
$166 0.8% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Portlaoise
$82
Lisbon
$66 20.1% $17
Getting Around
Portlaoise
$76
Lisbon
$63 16.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Portlaoise and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portlaoise pays 75% 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: $78.0 in Portlaoise vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Portlaoise
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:32 12:32 PM
12:32 12:32 PM
Same time as Portlaoise
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,494
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
  • Portlaoise Lisbon 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Portlaoise
  • 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
Portlaoise vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Portlaoise and in Lisbon?
Portlaoise and Lisbon differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,347 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: Portlaoise or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 75% higher in Portlaoise, 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 Portlaoise and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,229 in Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,072 in Portlaoise 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 45% higher in Portlaoise. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,347 in Portlaoise, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Portlaoise. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Portlaoise 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: Portlaoise or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Portlaoise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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