Cost of Living Comparison Between Varadero and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Varadero and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,345 in Varadero versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,764 in Varadero versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in Varadero versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Varadero costs roughly 41% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varadero is 2% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 CUP 106

$17.55 €15.12

-74.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.65 CUP 472

$64.5 €55.6

-69.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 CUP 166

$11.65 €10.04

-40.77%

Cappuccino

$1.55 CUP 37.31

$3.26 €2.81

-52.45%

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

$2.00 CUP 48.11

$2.49 €2.15

-19.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 CUP 21.96

$1.67 €1.44

-45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 CUP 61.7

$3.47 €2.99

-25.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CUP 83.7

$3.58 €3.08

-2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 CUP 70.7

$1.18 €1.02

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 CUP 36.15

$1.95 €1.68

-22.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 CUP 34.77

$1.56 €1.35

-7.05%

Eggs

$2.15 CUP 51.5

$4.01 €3.46

-46.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.83 CUP 140

$13.27 €11.44

-56.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 CUP 109

$8.42 €7.26

-46.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 CUP 280

$18.23 €15.72

-35.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 CUP 81.7

$2.32 €2.00

46.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.13

$1.73 €1.49

-41.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 CUP 37.64

$1.93 €1.67

-18.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 CUP 38.43

$2.64 €2.27

-39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 CUP 51.5

$1.90 €1.64

12.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 CUP 93.4

$2.11 €1.82

84.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 CUP 17.10

$1.44 €1.24

-50.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 CUP 13.80

$0.80 €0.69

-28.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 CUP 90.8

$7.01 €6.04

-46.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.55 CUP 133

$5.92 €5.11

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CUP 21.37

$1.36 €1.18

-34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CUP 50.4

$2.15 €1.85

-2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 CUP 2.47

$2.38 €2.05

-95.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.38 CUP 369

$46.22 €39.85

-66.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 CUP 47.48

$4.19 €3.61

-52.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CUP 24.36

$1.10 €0.95

-7.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 CUP 481

$17.26 €14.88

16.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CUP 31.93

$2.25 €1.94

-40.89%

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

$70.0K CUP 1.7M

$34.5K €29.7K

103.22%

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

$79.5K CUP 1.9M

$41.6K €35.9K

91.03%

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

$40.56 CUP 973

$171 €147

-76.26%

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

$39.41 CUP 946

$19.01 €16.38

107.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$220 CUP 5,269

$34.28 €29.55

540.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 CUP 956

$49.65 €42.80

-19.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.85 CUP 356

$19.51 €16.81

-23.89%

Cinema Ticket

$1.01 CUP 24.34

$10.10 €8.71

-90.00%

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

$91.7 CUP 2,201

$699 €603

-86.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K CUP 353.3K

$17.8K €15.3K

-17.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 CUP 942

$105 €90.2

-62.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 CUP 726

$47.97 €41.35

-36.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 CUP 1,788

$102 €87.8

-26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 CUP 2,038

$128 €111

-33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 CUP 12.2K

$1,661 €1,432

-69.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 CUP 13.6K

$1,228 €1,059

-53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 CUP 28.5K

$2,915 €2,513

-59.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 CUP 15.5K

$2,023 €1,744

-68.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$390 CUP 9,363

$8,129 €7,007

-95.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 CUP 8,555

$4,635 €3,996

-92.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.05 CUP 457

$1,619 €1,396

-98.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

296.83%

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

Last update for Varadero: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Varadero and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 8400% 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: $20.00 in Varadero vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $281 per month, with Varadero cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Varadero vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varadero and Lisbon differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,345 vs $2,268 including rent). Varadero is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8400% 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: $508 in Varadero versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $91.7 in Varadero 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 Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,345 in Varadero versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Varadero but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varadero 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, Varadero 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 Varadero gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.