Cost of Living Comparison Between Swords and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Swords and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,775 in Swords versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,070 in Swords versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,366 in Swords versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Swords is roughly 22% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swords 101% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.46 €19.36

$17.55 €15.12

27.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 €81.0

$64.5 €55.6

45.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.39

$11.65 €10.04

13.48%

Cappuccino

$5.04 €4.34

$3.26 €2.81

54.60%

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

$3.03 €2.61

$2.49 €2.15

21.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.67 €1.44

33.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 €6.56

$3.47 €2.99

119.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 €6.55

$3.58 €3.08

112.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.18 €1.02

36.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.95 €1.68

23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.56 €1.35

27.56%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.11

$4.01 €3.46

18.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 €8.86

$13.27 €11.44

-22.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.23

$8.42 €7.26

54.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.52 €14.24

$18.23 €15.72

-9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.32 €2.00

28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.73 €1.49

33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.93 €1.67

54.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 €4.31

$2.64 €2.27

89.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.90 €1.64

4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.11 €1.82

-24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.44 €1.24

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.80 €0.69

153.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.44 €18.48

$7.01 €6.04

205.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 €11.80

$5.92 €5.11

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 €3.07

$1.36 €1.18

161.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €2.96

$2.15 €1.85

59.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.38 €2.05

-1.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 €98.6

$46.22 €39.85

147.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.48

$4.19 €3.61

23.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.10 €0.95

41.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.52 €28.89

$17.26 €14.88

94.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.25 €1.94

-6.22%

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

$40.5K €34.9K

$34.5K €29.7K

17.46%

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

$38.5K €33.2K

$41.6K €35.9K

-7.57%

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

$254 €219

$171 €147

48.40%

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

$19.21 €16.56

$19.01 €16.38

1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 €48.37

$34.28 €29.55

63.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 €36.79

$49.65 €42.80

-14.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 €12.23

$10.10 €8.71

40.40%

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

$1,130 €974

$699 €603

61.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,489 €4,731

$17.8K €15.3K

-69.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 €85.2

$105 €90.2

-5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €38.32

$47.97 €41.35

-7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.1

$102 €87.8

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$128 €111

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 €1,441

$1,661 €1,432

0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,205

$1,228 €1,059

13.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,624 €2,262

$2,915 €2,513

-9.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 €1,935

$2,023 €1,744

10.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,053 €4,355

$8,129 €7,007

-37.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,027 €4,334

$4,635 €3,996

8.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.78

1.06%

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

Last update for Swords: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Swords and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Swords vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $281 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

Swords vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swords and Lisbon differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,775 vs $2,268 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,162 in Swords and $3,402 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,671 in Swords versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,130 in Swords versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Swords. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Swords 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Swords. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.