Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Silves and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Silves: $1,629 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.

Silves
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,629
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,629 in Silves versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Silves $1,629
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,393 in Silves versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Silves $2,393
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,157 in Silves versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Silves $3,157
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Silves costs roughly 27% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.54 €12.04
$16.50 €14.67
-17.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.10 €41.90
$61.3 €54.5
-23.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.30 €8.28
$11.27 €10.03
-17.48%
Cappuccino
$1.92 €1.71
$3.06 €2.72
-37.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$2.26 €2.01
-14.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.73 €1.54
-16.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.82 €2.51
$3.39 €3.02
-16.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.04
$3.40 €3.02
0.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.12 €1.00
-1.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 €1.30
$1.86 €1.65
-20.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.53 €1.36
2.61%
Eggs
$3.39 €3.02
$3.96 €3.53
-14.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.90 €10.58
$12.76 €11.35
-6.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.31 €6.50
$7.90 €7.02
-7.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.47 €12.87
$16.97 €15.09
-14.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.27 €2.02
-0.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.75 €1.55
-23.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.85 €1.64
-4.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.57 €2.28
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.86 €1.65
-2.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$2.02 €1.80
-5.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.44 €1.28
4.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 €0.70
$0.82 €0.73
-3.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.98 €5.32
$6.56 €5.83
-8.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.48 €3.98
$5.62 €5.00
-20.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.28 €1.14
-4.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.07 €1.84
1.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.35 €2.09
-2.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.98 €37.35
$44.18 €39.30
-4.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.80 €3.38
$3.99 €3.55
-4.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.09 €0.97
5.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.40 €16.36
$16.64 €14.81
10.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.28 €2.03
-9.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.2K
$33.7K €30.0K
0.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.0K €30.3K
$39.3K €35.0K
-13.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 €106
$167 €149
-28.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.84 €17.65
$18.80 €16.72
5.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.39 €32.36
$33.09 €29.43
9.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.12 €35.69
$46.01 €40.93
-12.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.69 €13.07
$19.19 €17.07
-23.45%
Cinema Ticket
$8.33 €7.41
$9.84 €8.75
-15.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$419 €372
$677 €602
-38.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K €10.0K
$16.9K €15.1K
-33.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.9 €70.2
$101 €90.1
-22.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.89 €32.81
$45.76 €40.70
-19.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 €75.1
$100.0 €88.9
-15.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 €93.0
$123 €109
-14.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 €840
$1,614 €1,436
-41.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$761 €676
$1,197 €1,065
-36.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,546 €1,375
$2,862 €2,545
-45.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,194 €1,062
$1,990 €1,770
-40.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,242 €2,884
$7,577 €6,740
-57.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 €1,993
$4,307 €3,831
-47.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Silves
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$948 €843
$1,588 €1,412
-40.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
3.85
-4.68%

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

Last update for Silves: 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
Silves
$761
Lisbon
$1.2K 57.4% $437
Groceries & Markets
Silves
$244
Lisbon
$269 10.2% $25
Eating Out
Silves
$194
Lisbon
$242 25.1% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silves
$176
Lisbon
$219 24.7% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Silves
$137
Lisbon
$166 21.3% $29
Getting Around
Silves
$61
Lisbon
$63 3.8% $2.3
Sport & Entertainment
Silves
$57
Lisbon
$66 15.7% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Silves and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% 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 Silves vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $269 per month, with Silves cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Silves
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
00:45 12:45 AM
00:45 12:45 AM
Same time as Silves
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,776
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Silves Lisbon 170 km
From you
  • Silves
  • 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
Silves vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Silves and in Lisbon?
Silves and Lisbon differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,629 vs $2,223 including rent). Silves 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 67% 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 Silves and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $944 in Silves 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 Silves and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $419 in Silves 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?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,629 in Silves versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Silves but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Silves the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Silves 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 Silves or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Silves 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: Silves or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Silves 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.

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