Cost of Living Comparison Between Portugal and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Portugal and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,638 in Portugal versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,407 in Portugal versus $2,623 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,176 in Portugal versus $3,528 in Italy.

Living in Portugal costs about 5% less than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Portugal 22% above, Italy 28% above.

Portugal ($1,043–$2,441) and Italy ($1,147–$2,536) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 €10.07

$17.24 €14.70

-31.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 €44.24

$80.3 €68.5

-35.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 €7.92

$11.44 €9.76

-18.88%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.82

$1.92 €1.64

11.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.98 €2.54

-33.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.32 €1.13

3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 €2.53

$5.83 €4.97

-49.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €2.92

$5.16 €4.40

-33.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.69 €1.44

-37.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 €1.34

$2.41 €2.05

-34.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.38

$3.00 €2.56

-46.00%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.68

$4.08 €3.48

-23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 €10.22

$16.21 €13.83

-26.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 €6.50

$12.65 €10.79

-39.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 €12.27

$20.13 €17.17

-28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.96

$2.60 €2.22

-11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.21 €1.88

-31.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$2.61 €2.22

-31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.14

$3.28 €2.80

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.95 €1.66

-13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.83 €1.56

4.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.39

$1.55 €1.32

5.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.50 €0.43

62.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.41

$6.88 €5.87

-7.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 €4.92

$6.86 €5.85

-15.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.80 €1.54

-27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.14

$2.53 €2.16

-0.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.93

$1.94 €1.65

16.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.87 €39.98

$41.82 €35.67

12.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 €3.36

$5.71 €4.87

-31.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.86

$1.53 €1.31

-33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 €14.66

$35.12 €29.96

-51.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$2.03 €1.73

-5.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.3K €29.3K

$31.8K €27.2K

7.67%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.9K €34.0K

$33.3K €28.4K

19.94%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$136 €116

$224 €191

-39.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.19 €18.07

$13.50 €11.52

56.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.83 €36.53

$30.92 €26.38

38.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 €37.99

$56.3 €48.02

-20.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.86 €14.38

$25.38 €21.65

-33.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 €7.48

$10.41 €8.88

-15.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$508 €433

$575 €490

-11.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.6K

$10.6K €9,012

18.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €78.7

$89.4 €76.3

3.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.96 €33.23

$39.72 €33.88

-1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €76.3

$99.5 €84.9

-10.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €89.8

$130 €111

-19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €929

$854 €729

27.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 €735

$651 €556

32.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,840 €1,569

$1,478 €1,260

24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,128

$1,109 €946

19.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 €3,408

$3,926 €3,349

1.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 €2,451

$2,410 €2,056

19.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,351 €1,152

$1,932 €1,648

-30.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

4.41

9.52%

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

Last update for Portugal: April 28, 2026

Last update for Italy: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $936 in Portugal, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,604 in Lisbon vs $1,349 in Rome.

National salary averages: $1,328 in Portugal, $1,935 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 26% higher in Portugal.

Dining out costs 54% more in Italy.

Salaries are 46% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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

Portugal vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,842 per month in Italy and $1,742 in Portugal, there's a 6% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Portugal is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats Portugal across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Portugal, $3,000 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Portugal wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.