Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tres Cantos and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Tres Cantos: $1,640 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tres Cantos
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,640
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,640 in Tres Cantos versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Tres Cantos $1,640
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,406 in Tres Cantos versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Tres Cantos $2,406
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,171 in Tres Cantos versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Tres Cantos $3,171
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Tres Cantos costs roughly 26% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tres Cantos 22% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.59 €14.76
$16.50 €14.67
0.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.7 €50.4
$61.3 €54.5
-7.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.00 €9.78
$11.27 €10.03
-2.40%
Cappuccino
$2.34 €2.08
$3.06 €2.72
-23.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 €2.28
$2.26 €2.01
13.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.73 €1.54
8.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.01
$3.39 €3.02
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 €3.16
$3.40 €3.02
4.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.12 €1.00
5.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.86 €1.65
-20.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 €1.44
$1.53 €1.36
5.88%
Eggs
$3.35 €2.98
$3.96 €3.53
-15.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.36 €11.88
$12.76 €11.35
4.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 €7.08
$7.90 €7.02
0.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.53 €13.81
$16.97 €15.09
-8.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.28
$2.27 €2.02
12.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.75 €1.55
14.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.85 €1.64
3.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.29
$2.57 €2.28
0.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.86 €1.65
-3.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$2.02 €1.80
-1.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.44 €1.28
-7.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 €0.60
$0.82 €0.73
-17.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.32 €5.62
$6.56 €5.83
-3.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.55 €4.94
$5.62 €5.00
-1.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.28 €1.14
-7.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 €1.99
$2.07 €1.84
7.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 €1.46
$2.35 €2.09
-29.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.40 €28.82
$44.18 €39.30
-26.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$3.99 €3.55
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.09 €0.97
30.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.12 €20.56
$16.64 €14.81
38.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.56
$2.28 €2.03
-22.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K €31.9K
$33.7K €30.0K
6.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K €25.4K
$39.3K €35.0K
-27.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$143 €127
$167 €149
-14.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.25 €16.23
$18.80 €16.72
-2.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.50 €26.24
$33.09 €29.43
-10.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.25 €39.36
$46.01 €40.93
-3.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.66 €13.93
$19.19 €17.07
-18.39%
Cinema Ticket
$8.91 €7.92
$9.84 €8.75
-9.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$467 €415
$677 €602
-31.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,395 €7,467
$16.9K €15.1K
-50.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.7 €77.1
$101 €90.1
-14.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.97 €31.99
$45.76 €40.70
-21.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 €81.2
$100.0 €88.9
-8.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 €102
$123 €109
-6.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$884 €786
$1,614 €1,436
-45.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$692 €616
$1,197 €1,065
-42.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 €1,201
$2,862 €2,545
-52.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 €893
$1,990 €1,770
-49.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,352 €2,982
$7,577 €6,740
-55.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,235 €1,988
$4,307 €3,831
-48.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tres Cantos
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,300 €2,935
$1,588 €1,412
107.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
3.85
-14.29%

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

Last update for Tres Cantos: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tres Cantos
$692
Lisbon
$1.2K 73% $505
Groceries & Markets
Tres Cantos
$263
Lisbon
$269 2.6% $6.8
Eating Out
Tres Cantos
$236
Lisbon
$242 2.8% $6.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tres Cantos
$190
Lisbon
$219 15.3% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Tres Cantos
$148
Lisbon
$166 12.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Tres Cantos
$62
Lisbon
$66 5.8% $3.6
Getting Around
Tres Cantos
$50
Lisbon
$63 25.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Tres Cantos and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tres Cantos pays 108% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Tres Cantos vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $269 per month, with Tres Cantos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Tres Cantos
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
08:29 8:29 AM
07:29 7:29 AM
1 h behind Tres Cantos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
51,453
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tres Cantos Lisbon 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tres Cantos
  • 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
Tres Cantos vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tres Cantos and in Lisbon?
Tres Cantos and Lisbon differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,640 vs $2,223 including rent). Tres Cantos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tres Cantos or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 108% higher in Tres Cantos, 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 Tres Cantos and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $884 in Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $467 in Tres Cantos 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 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,640 in Tres Cantos versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tres Cantos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tres Cantos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tres Cantos 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 Tres Cantos or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tres Cantos 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: Tres Cantos or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Tres Cantos 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.

Tres Cantos vs other spots: cost of living compared

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