Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilagarcia de Arousa and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilagarcia de Arousa and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,170 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,739 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,309 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Vilagarcia de Arousa costs roughly 49% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vilagarcia de Arousa is 14% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 €7.84

$17.59 €15.24

-48.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.64 €34.35

$62.9 €54.5

-36.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 €7.96

$11.58 €10.04

-20.64%

Cappuccino

$1.87 €1.62

$3.10 €2.69

-39.68%

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

$2.44 €2.12

$2.49 €2.16

-2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.74 €1.51

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 €2.23

$3.48 €3.02

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.96

$3.44 €2.98

-0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.15 €0.99

-6.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.91 €1.65

-31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.50 €1.30

18.67%

Eggs

$3.03 €2.63

$3.98 €3.45

-23.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 €5.87

$13.29 €11.52

-49.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 €6.16

$8.01 €6.94

-11.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 €7.14

$18.04 €15.64

-54.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$2.35 €2.04

14.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 €2.41

$1.75 €1.52

58.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$1.85 €1.61

37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.55 €2.21

-8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.84 €1.60

20.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 €2.30

$2.10 €1.82

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.49 €1.29

4.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.82 €0.71

-4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 €4.46

$7.10 €6.15

-27.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 €4.12

$5.91 €5.12

-19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.31 €1.14

-12.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.13 €1.85

-0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.43

$2.36 €2.04

-30.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.52 €16.92

$46.62 €40.40

-58.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 €4.65

$4.08 €3.53

31.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.14 €0.99

-0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.34 €16.76

$17.09 €14.81

13.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.31 €2.00

-25.97%

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

$36.5K €31.7K

$34.1K €29.6K

7.09%

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

$30.0K €26.0K

$41.4K €35.9K

-27.40%

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

$154 €133

$169 €146

-8.79%

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

$16.88 €14.62

$19.33 €16.75

-12.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.03 €26.89

$33.51 €29.04

-7.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.96 €25.10

$48.84 €42.32

-40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.97 €14.71

$19.43 €16.84

-12.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.68 €7.52

$9.57 €8.29

-9.30%

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

$277 €240

$696 €603

-60.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,867 €5,951

$17.4K €15.0K

-60.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €65.0

$105 €91.3

-28.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.87 €27.62

$47.75 €41.38

-33.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 €66.1

$101 €87.1

-24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$124 €108

6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 €475

$1,662 €1,440

-67.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 €301

$1,246 €1,080

-72.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 €708

$2,965 €2,569

-72.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €456

$2,049 €1,775

-74.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,505 €1,304

$7,834 €6,789

-80.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$887 €768

$4,464 €3,869

-80.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,334 €2,023

$1,632 €1,414

43.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

3.78

-0.26%

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

Last update for Vilagarcia de Arousa: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $548 in Vilagarcia de Arousa and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilagarcia de Arousa pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Vilagarcia de Arousa vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $277 per month, with Vilagarcia de Arousa 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

Vilagarcia de Arousa vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vilagarcia de Arousa and Lisbon differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($1,170 vs $2,296 including rent). Vilagarcia de Arousa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Vilagarcia de Arousa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $548 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $277 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,170 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vilagarcia de Arousa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vilagarcia de Arousa 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, Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 Vilagarcia de Arousa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.