Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,791 in Rhodes versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,760 in Rhodes versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,730 in Rhodes versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Rhodes costs roughly 22% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rhodes 31% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.41 €16.92

$17.59 €15.33

10.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$62.9 €54.8

11.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 €8.34

$11.58 €10.10

-17.36%

Cappuccino

$4.53 €3.95

$3.10 €2.70

46.13%

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

$2.60 €2.27

$2.49 €2.17

4.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.74 €1.52

-45.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 €5.09

$3.48 €3.03

67.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.06

$3.44 €3.00

35.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.15 €1.00

95.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.91 €1.66

2.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 €4.61

$1.50 €1.31

252.67%

Eggs

$6.41 €5.59

$3.98 €3.47

61.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.68

$13.29 €11.59

26.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 €10.26

$8.01 €6.98

46.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.28 €16.81

$18.04 €15.73

6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.35 €2.05

-6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.75 €1.53

26.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.85 €1.62

-14.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.13

$2.55 €2.22

-4.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.84 €1.61

-9.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.10 €1.83

-6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.49 €1.30

-10.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.67

$0.82 €0.71

-6.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.45 €4.75

$7.10 €6.19

-23.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 €7.09

$5.91 €5.15

37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.39

$1.31 €1.15

109.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.50

$2.13 €1.86

-19.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 €2.30

$2.36 €2.05

11.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 €65.4

$46.62 €40.63

60.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 €3.11

$4.08 €3.55

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.14 €0.99

34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 €10.16

$17.09 €14.90

-31.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.31 €2.01

-2.60%

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

$28.9K €25.2K

$34.1K €29.7K

-15.22%

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

$27.0K €23.5K

$41.4K €36.1K

-34.73%

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

$231 €201

$169 €147

36.89%

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

$27.27 €23.77

$19.33 €16.85

41.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.98 €27.01

$33.51 €29.21

-7.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.4 €53.5

$48.84 €42.57

25.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.06 €34.92

$19.43 €16.94

106.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 €8.01

$9.57 €8.34

-3.97%

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

$482 €420

$696 €607

-30.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,424 €8,215

$17.4K €15.1K

-45.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$156 €136

$105 €91.8

48.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 €30.61

$47.75 €41.62

-26.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €102

$101 €87.6

16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €144

$124 €108

32.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 €507

$1,662 €1,449

-65.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 €397

$1,246 €1,086

-63.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €911

$2,965 €2,584

-64.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €705

$2,049 €1,786

-60.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,805 €3,317

$7,834 €6,829

-51.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 €1,530

$4,464 €3,892

-60.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,358 €1,184

$1,632 €1,422

-16.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

3.78

19.84%

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

Last update for Rhodes: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $581 in Rhodes and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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: $70.0 in Rhodes vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $277 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

Rhodes vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rhodes and Lisbon differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,791 vs $2,296 including rent). Rhodes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $581 in Rhodes versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $482 in Rhodes versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,791 in Rhodes versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rhodes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rhodes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Rhodes 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.

Expats usually find Rhodes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.