Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Rijeka: $1,577 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Rijeka
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,577
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,577 in Rijeka versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Rijeka $1,577
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Rijeka versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Rijeka $2,412
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Rijeka versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Rijeka $3,248
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Rijeka costs roughly 29% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rijeka 17% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.14 €11.69
$16.50 €14.67
-20.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 €65.1
$61.3 €54.5
19.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.10 €8.98
$11.27 €10.03
-10.38%
Cappuccino
$2.35 €2.09
$3.06 €2.72
-23.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 €2.70
$2.26 €2.01
34.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.73 €1.54
12.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.86 €3.43
$3.39 €3.02
13.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 €3.88
$3.40 €3.02
28.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.12 €1.00
11.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.86 €1.65
-17.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.29 €2.93
$1.53 €1.36
115.03%
Eggs
$3.72 €3.31
$3.96 €3.53
-6.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.64 €13.91
$12.76 €11.35
22.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.25 €9.12
$7.90 €7.02
29.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.21 €12.64
$16.97 €15.09
-16.26%
Apples (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$2.27 €2.02
-27.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.75 €1.55
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 €1.63
$1.85 €1.64
-1.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$2.57 €2.28
1.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.86 €1.65
-26.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.32 €1.17
$2.02 €1.80
-34.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.44 €1.28
-8.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.20
$0.82 €0.73
64.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.92 €5.26
$6.56 €5.83
-9.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.78 €6.92
$5.62 €5.00
38.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.28 €1.14
25.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 €1.88
$2.07 €1.84
2.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.21 €1.97
$2.35 €2.09
-5.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.4 €48.37
$44.18 €39.30
23.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.73 €5.10
$3.99 €3.55
43.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.09 €0.97
32.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.76 €24.70
$16.64 €14.81
66.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.28 €2.03
-18.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K €23.1K
$33.7K €30.0K
-22.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K €21.9K
$39.3K €35.0K
-37.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 €164
$167 €149
10.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.53 €20.93
$18.80 €16.72
25.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.52 €34.26
$33.09 €29.43
16.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 €48.13
$46.01 €40.93
17.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.04 €9.82
$19.19 €17.07
-42.47%
Cinema Ticket
$6.70 €5.96
$9.84 €8.75
-31.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$538 €479
$677 €602
-20.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K €11.4K
$16.9K €15.1K
-24.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.9 €88.8
$101 €90.1
-1.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.00 €37.36
$45.76 €40.70
-8.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €89.9
$100.0 €88.9
1.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 €95.8
$123 €109
-12.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$693 €616
$1,614 €1,436
-57.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$525 €467
$1,197 €1,065
-56.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 €1,072
$2,862 €2,545
-57.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$859 €764
$1,990 €1,770
-56.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,045 €3,598
$7,577 €6,740
-46.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,954 €3,517
$4,307 €3,831
-8.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rijeka
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,494 €1,329
$1,588 €1,412
-5.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.73
3.85
-3.12%

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

Last update for Rijeka: 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
Rijeka
$525
Lisbon
$1.2K 128% $672
Groceries & Markets
Rijeka
$292
Lisbon
$269 7.7% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijeka
$247
Lisbon
$219 11.1% $27
Eating Out
Rijeka
$212
Lisbon
$242 14.5% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Rijeka
$158
Lisbon
$166 5.5% $8.6
Getting Around
Rijeka
$76
Lisbon
$63 17.3% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Rijeka
$68
Lisbon
$66 2.7% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Rijeka and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 6% 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: $73.0 in Rijeka vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Rijeka
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
14:34 2:34 PM
13:34 1:34 PM
1 h behind Rijeka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
107,964
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
  • Rijeka Lisbon 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rijeka
  • 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
Rijeka vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rijeka and in Lisbon?
Rijeka and Lisbon differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,577 vs $2,223 including rent). Rijeka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 6% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Rijeka and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $693 in Rijeka 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 Rijeka and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $538 in Rijeka 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?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,577 in Rijeka versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rijeka but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rijeka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Rijeka 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 Rijeka or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Rijeka 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: Rijeka or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Rijeka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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