Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Rome costs roughly 8% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$15.91 €13.70

8.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$64.8 €55.8

14.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$10.51 €9.05

11.70%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$2.87 €2.47

-36.24%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.24 €1.93

12.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.50 €1.29

-15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$3.49 €3.01

67.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$3.88 €3.34

34.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.14 €0.98

48.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.75 €1.51

22.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.76 €1.51

67.61%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.22 €2.77

40.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$13.49 €11.61

29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$7.91 €6.81

51.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$15.87 €13.67

27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.31 €1.99

6.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.70 €1.46

31.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.01 €1.73

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.46 €2.12

4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.84 €1.59

-3.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.00 €1.72

-7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.93 €1.66

-34.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.79 €0.68

-30.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$6.61 €5.69

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$5.72 €4.93

-19.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.37 €1.18

42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.97 €2.56

-8.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.37 €2.04

-24.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.30

$45.56 €39.22

-10.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$4.29 €3.69

19.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.82 €0.70

95.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.20

$18.30 €15.76

91.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.06 €1.78

-5.34%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$34.3K €29.5K

-14.47%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$39.3K €33.8K

-23.21%

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

$219 €189

$148 €127

48.38%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$20.52 €17.67

-46.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.95

$39.61 €34.10

-20.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$47.85 €41.19

33.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.49

$18.92 €16.29

25.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$9.18 €7.91

27.78%

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

$528 €455

$614 €529

-13.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,974

$16.0K €13.8K

-35.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$105 €90.1

-30.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.76

$42.06 €36.21

-17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$94.0 €80.9

-7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$120 €103

-0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$1,628 €1,401

-18.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$1,255 €1,081

-29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,291

$3,030 €2,609

-12.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,408

$2,020 €1,739

-19.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,516

$7,800 €6,715

11.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,972

$4,273 €3,678

-19.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,603 €1,380

28.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.81

3.67%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rome vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $269 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

Rome vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Lisbon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,027 vs $2,210 including rent). Rome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rome pays 28% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,325 in Rome versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,027 in Rome versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rome 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, Rome 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.