Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vienna and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,325 in Vienna, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Vienna despite lower rent and utilities.

Vienna
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,325
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,325 in Vienna versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Vienna $2,325
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,463 in Vienna versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Vienna $3,463
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Vienna versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Vienna $4,601
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Vienna is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vienna 72% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.39 €17.25
$17.04 €15.15
13.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.4 €80.4
$62.3 €55.4
45.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 €11.74
$11.02 €9.80
19.78%
Cappuccino
$5.10 €4.54
$3.12 €2.78
63.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 €3.46
$2.27 €2.02
71.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 €2.82
$1.74 €1.55
82.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.94 €5.28
$3.42 €3.04
73.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 €4.95
$3.74 €3.33
48.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.17 €1.04
35.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.86 €1.66
14.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$1.54 €1.37
68.18%
Eggs
$4.67 €4.16
$4.06 €3.61
15.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.04 €12.49
$12.91 €11.49
8.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.82 €12.29
$7.90 €7.03
74.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.63 €20.13
$17.64 €15.69
28.29%
Apples (1kg)
$3.04 €2.71
$2.26 €2.01
34.51%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.75 €1.55
25.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.51 €3.12
$1.89 €1.68
85.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.09 €3.64
$2.56 €2.27
59.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.85 €1.64
7.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.97 €1.75
-2.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.45 €1.29
36.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.77 €0.69
6.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.66 €6.81
$6.71 €5.97
14.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.43 €7.50
$5.67 €5.04
48.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.37 €1.22
8.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.11 €1.88
-11.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.39 €3.01
$2.32 €2.07
46.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.3 €50.1
$44.43 €39.52
26.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 €4.85
$3.95 €3.51
37.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.05 €0.93
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.49 €39.57
$17.15 €15.26
159.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.19 €1.95
-5.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.6K €27.2K
$33.8K €30.0K
-9.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K €28.5K
$38.3K €34.0K
-16.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$316 €281
$164 €146
92.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.53 €12.92
$18.48 €16.43
-21.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.37 €28.80
$32.96 €29.32
-1.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.09 €34.77
$45.87 €40.80
-14.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.05 €24.95
$18.68 €16.61
50.16%
Cinema Ticket
$14.15 €12.59
$9.75 €8.67
45.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 €332
$684 €608
-45.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.0K €24.9K
$17.6K €15.7K
59.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.5 €79.6
$104 €92.3
-13.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.52 €35.15
$46.20 €41.09
-14.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 €81.2
$99.7 €88.7
-8.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 €120
$125 €111
8.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,151
$1,589 €1,414
-18.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$960 €854
$1,169 €1,040
-17.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,511 €2,234
$2,851 €2,536
-11.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,560 €1,388
$1,993 €1,773
-21.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.7K €13.1K
$7,793 €6,932
89.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,033 €5,366
$4,418 €3,930
36.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vienna
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,519 €3,130
$1,600 €1,423
119.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.41
3.85
-11.43%

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

Last update for Vienna: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vienna
$960
Lisbon
$1.2K 21.8% $209
Groceries & Markets
Vienna
$364
Lisbon
$273 25% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vienna
$363
Lisbon
$215 40.6% $147
Eating Out
Vienna
$325
Lisbon
$247 23.9% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Vienna
$160
Lisbon
$168 5.3% $8.4
Getting Around
Vienna
$86
Lisbon
$63 26.7% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Vienna
$67
Lisbon
$65 3% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,294 in Vienna and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vienna pays 120% 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: $90.0 in Vienna vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇹 Vienna
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
21:22 9:22 PM
20:22 8:22 PM
1 h behind Vienna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,920,949 Capital
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vienna Lisbon 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Vienna
  • 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
Vienna vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Vienna and in Lisbon?
Vienna and Lisbon differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,325 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Vienna or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 120% higher in Vienna, 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 Vienna and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,294 in Vienna versus $1,589 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 Vienna and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $373 in Vienna versus $684 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 33% higher in Vienna. 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 $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,325 in Vienna, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Vienna. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Vienna 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 Vienna or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Vienna 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: Vienna or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Vienna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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