Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rouen and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Rouen: $1,734 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Rouen
🇫🇷 France
$1,734
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,734 in Rouen versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Rouen $1,734
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,616 in Rouen versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Rouen $2,616
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,498 in Rouen versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Rouen $3,498
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Rouen costs roughly 21% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rouen 28% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.75 €14.90
$17.04 €15.15
-1.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.8 €59.4
$62.3 €55.4
7.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.08 €9.86
$11.02 €9.80
0.54%
Cappuccino
$3.30 €2.93
$3.12 €2.78
5.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 €3.26
$2.27 €2.02
61.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 €2.86
$1.74 €1.55
85.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.31 €6.50
$3.42 €3.04
113.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.86 €6.10
$3.74 €3.33
83.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.17 €1.04
26.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.86 €1.66
-42.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 €1.99
$1.54 €1.37
45.45%
Eggs
$3.56 €3.17
$4.06 €3.61
-12.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.50 €16.46
$12.91 €11.49
43.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.88 €7.89
$7.90 €7.03
12.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.98 €24.00
$17.64 €15.69
52.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$2.26 €2.01
12.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.91 €2.59
$1.75 €1.55
66.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$1.89 €1.68
29.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.13 €2.78
$2.56 €2.27
22.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 €1.82
$1.85 €1.64
10.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.97 €1.75
-24.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.45 €1.29
-13.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 €0.38
$0.77 €0.69
-44.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.34 €12.76
$6.71 €5.97
113.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.65 €5.92
$5.67 €5.04
17.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.39
$1.37 €1.22
95.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.11 €1.88
56.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.32 €2.07
-15.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.79 €43.40
$44.43 €39.52
9.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.80 €7.83
$3.95 €3.51
122.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.05 €0.93
14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.89 €30.14
$17.15 €15.26
97.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.19 €1.95
-1.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €31.0K
$33.8K €30.0K
3.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.6K €31.7K
$38.3K €34.0K
-6.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 €187
$164 €146
28.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.28 €20.71
$18.48 €16.43
25.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.42 €35.06
$32.96 €29.32
19.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.34 €37.66
$45.87 €40.80
-7.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.90 €15.03
$18.68 €16.61
-9.53%
Cinema Ticket
$14.36 €12.78
$9.75 €8.67
47.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$902 €802
$684 €608
31.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.2K €9,040
$17.6K €15.7K
-42.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.4 €75.9
$104 €92.3
-17.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$46.20 €41.09
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 €85.4
$99.7 €88.7
-3.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 €91.5
$125 €111
-17.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$692 €616
$1,589 €1,414
-56.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$567 €505
$1,169 €1,040
-51.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,228 €1,092
$2,851 €2,536
-56.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$909 €809
$1,993 €1,773
-54.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,930 €3,496
$7,793 €6,932
-49.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,366 €2,105
$4,418 €3,930
-46.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rouen
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,579 €2,294
$1,600 €1,423
61.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
3.85
-1.04%

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

Last update for Rouen: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rouen
$567
Lisbon
$1.2K 106% $602
Groceries & Markets
Rouen
$338
Lisbon
$273 19.2% $65
Eating Out
Rouen
$285
Lisbon
$247 13% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
$273
Lisbon
$215 21.3% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
$128 *
Lisbon
$168 31.7% $41
Getting Around
Rouen
$71
Lisbon
$63 12% $8.6
Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
$71
Lisbon
$65 8% $5.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Rouen and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rouen pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rouen vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Rouen
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:48 12:48 PM
11:48 11:48 AM
1 h behind Rouen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
114,083
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rouen Lisbon 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Rouen
  • 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
Rouen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rouen and in Lisbon?
Rouen and Lisbon differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,734 vs $2,202 including rent). Rouen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Rouen or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 61% higher in Rouen, 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 Rouen and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $692 in Rouen versus $1,589 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 Rouen and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $902 in Rouen versus $684 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 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,734 in Rouen versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rouen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rouen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Rouen 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 Rouen or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Rouen 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: Rouen or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Rouen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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