Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Setubal and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Setubal: $1,634 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Setubal
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Setubal Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Setubal

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,634

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,634 in Setubal versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Setubal $1,634
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,343 in Setubal versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Setubal $2,343
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,052 in Setubal versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Setubal $3,052
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Setubal costs roughly 26% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Setubal 21% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 €10.97

$16.50 €14.67

-25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.13 €41.92

$61.3 €54.5

-23.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 €8.14

$11.27 €10.03

-18.81%

Cappuccino

$2.01 €1.79

$3.06 €2.72

-34.31%

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

$2.03 €1.81

$2.26 €2.01

-10.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.73 €1.54

-12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 €1.95

$3.39 €3.02

-35.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.94

$3.40 €3.02

-2.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.12 €1.00

-5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.86 €1.65

-20.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.53 €1.36

11.11%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.90

$3.96 €3.53

-17.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$12.76 €11.35

-8.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 €6.61

$7.90 €7.02

-5.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 €13.08

$16.97 €15.09

-13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.27 €2.02

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.75 €1.55

-21.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.85 €1.64

-4.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.57 €2.28

8.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.86 €1.65

-11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.44 €1.28

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$0.82 €0.73

-12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 €5.05

$6.56 €5.83

-13.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.35 €3.87

$5.62 €5.00

-22.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.82

$1.28 €1.14

-28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.07 €1.84

4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 €3.85

$2.35 €2.09

84.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.52 €40.49

$44.18 €39.30

3.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 €3.29

$3.99 €3.55

-7.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.09 €0.97

24.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 €12.54

$16.64 €14.81

-15.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.28 €2.03

-7.02%

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

$33.9K €30.1K

$33.7K €30.0K

0.55%

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

$37.8K €33.6K

$39.3K €35.0K

-3.77%

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

$100 €89.2

$167 €149

-40.12%

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

$20.39 €18.14

$18.80 €16.72

8.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.54 €28.95

$33.09 €29.43

-1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.94 €27.52

$46.01 €40.93

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 €14.15

$19.19 €17.07

-17.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 €7.08

$9.84 €8.75

-19.21%

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

$575 €511

$677 €602

-15.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,430

$16.9K €15.1K

-37.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 €59.4

$101 €90.1

-34.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.46 €33.32

$45.76 €40.70

-18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 €62.5

$100.0 €88.9

-29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 €84.5

$123 €109

-22.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 €884

$1,614 €1,436

-38.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 €724

$1,197 €1,065

-32.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 €1,411

$2,862 €2,545

-44.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 €1,031

$1,990 €1,770

-41.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,100 €3,647

$7,577 €6,740

-45.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 €2,084

$4,307 €3,831

-45.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,246 €1,109

$1,588 €1,412

-21.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Setubal: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Setubal

$814 49.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 47.1% $383

Groceries & Markets

Setubal

$244 14.9%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 10.6% $26

Eating Out

Setubal

$182 11.1%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 33.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Setubal

$153 9.4%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 43.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Setubal

$121 7.4%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 37.2% $45

Getting Around

Setubal

$73 4.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 14.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Setubal

$47 2.9%

Lisbon

$66 3% 40.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $993 in Setubal and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 27% 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: $47.00 in Setubal vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $269 per month, with Setubal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Setubal

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

Same time as Setubal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,519

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Setubal vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Setubal and Lisbon differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,634 vs $2,223 including rent). Setubal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $993 in Setubal versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $575 in Setubal versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,634 in Setubal versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Setubal but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Setubal 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, Setubal 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 Setubal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.