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Lisbon vs Palermo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐น Lisbon
๐ฎ๐น Palermo
At a glance
- Where Palermo is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (58%โ), Hotel night (39%โ), Bottled water (38%โ)
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Laundry (64%โ), Beer (38%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (38%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Lisbon is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Lisbon 2 vs Palermo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lisbon | Palermo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Lisbon โ14% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 3$3.49 | Palermo โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 30$34.9 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2$2.33 | โฌ 1.6$1.86 | Palermo โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Lisbon โ38% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 8$9.3 | Palermo โ11% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | โฌ 0.5$0.58 | Palermo โ38% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | Palermo โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 11$12.8 | Lisbon โ36% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 8$9.3 | Lisbon โ38% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | โฌ 1.4$1.63 | Palermo โ26% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Palermo โ12% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 140$163 | โฌ 85$98.8 | Palermo โ39% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | โฌ 550$640 | Palermo โ58% |
| Laundry | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Lisbon โ64% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 15$17.4 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 12$14 | Palermo โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | โฌ 45$52.3 | Palermo โ10% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Lisbon โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 12$14 | Palermo โ20% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Lisbon or Palermo?
Palermo is 23% cheaper than Lisbon. Daily budget $272 vs $224; a month $5,020 vs $3,566.
Which is easier to travel, Lisbon or Palermo?
Lisbon is easier: Lisbon 2.0/5 vs Palermo 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lisbon and Palermo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lisbon is about $5,020 and Palermo about $3,566 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.