Living in Lisbon
In Lisbon, the median gross salary is €1,856 a month (2022), rents in new contracts average €17.42 per m² a month (2026) and unemployment is 3% (2026).
There were 1,770 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2024. The unemployment rate was 3% in June 2026. Lisbon is the national capital of Portugal. Lisbon had a population of 575,000 at the end of 2024. Population density was 5,484.3 people per km² in 2022.
Pricier rent than any other Portuguese city that publishes it, higher unemployment than 78% of Portuguese cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 97% of Portuguese cities that publish it.
Which Portugal-wide rules apply when you move to Lisbon?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
A practical city rent estimate was €1,200 per month in May 2025.
How much does it cost to rent in Lisbon?
Average net cold rent is 17.42 EUR/m² per month (2026), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 17.42 EUR/m²/month · Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE Portugal)7
Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 41.52 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Lebenshaltungskosten in Lissabon18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 27 EUR/month | 11 Sept 2026 | ANACOM COM.escolha — Internet tariff query for Porto postal prefix 40001Official · city postal prefix tariff |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 606.3 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Lebenshaltungskosten in Lissabon18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 15 EUR | 31 Jul 2026 | Lebenshaltungskosten in Lissabon18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 10 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2026 | Lyca Globe S — 10 GB9Official · national market |
| Monthly transport pass | 30 EUR/month | 26 Jul 2026 | Official city transport tariff11Official |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 150.4 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Lebenshaltungskosten in Lissabon18Commercial estimate · Supplemental context |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 17.42 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.20 | 4 Aug 2026 | Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE Portugal)7Official |
| Median monthly rent | 1,200 EUR/month | 15 May 2025 | Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
Is Lisbon a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 1,045 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 17.42 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Is rent affordable on a local salary?
A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 1,045 EUR a month, which is 56% of the published median gross salary of 1,856 (2022). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.
Work and income
What is the typical salary in Lisbon?
The median gross salary is about 1,856 EUR/month (2022). Source: Collected source2
City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.
What is the unemployment rate in Lisbon?
The unemployment rate is 3 % (June 2026). Source: IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202617
Lisbon 3.0%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public employment offices | 1 count | 15 Sept 2026 | IEFP — Centro de Emprego e Formação Profissional de Lisboa4Official |
| Median gross salary | 1,856 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Collected source2Official |
| Unemployment rate | 3 %country median 2.3% | 30 Jun 2026 | IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202617Independent |
What does a salary buy in Lisbon?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions. | €1,413 |
| Rent, 60 m²€17.42/m² · official · Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE Portugal) · 2026-08-04 | − €1,045 |
| Public transport pass€30 · official · Official city transport tariff · 2026-07-26 | − €30 |
| Utilities, 85 m²€150 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Lissabon · 2026-07-31 | − €150 |
| Internet€27 · official · ANACOM COM.escolha · 2026-09-11 | − €27 |
| Mobile plan€10 · official · Lyca Globe S · 2026-10-31 | − €10 |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €151 |
Public employment offices in Lisbon
IEFP lists 1 public employment office in Lisbon (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.
Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional — Public employment service
The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 1,770 per 100,000 | 2024 | Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit.13Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Lisbon when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Lisbon?
Police recorded 5,090 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 5,090 incidents per 100k · INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20225
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 5,090 incidents per 100kcountry median 2,730 | 31 Dec 2022 | INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 20225Official |
Mobility and administration
The nearest airport was LIS, 7.2 km away, with 103 listed destinations in June 2026. An estimate placed a monthly public-transport pass at €30 in 2026.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destinations from nearest airport | 103 count | 13 Jun 2026 | OpenFlights — routes.dat14Official |
| Nearest airport | LIS | 13 Jun 2026 | OurAirports — airports.csv15Official |
| Distance to nearest airport | 7.2 km | 13 Jun 2026 | OurAirports — airports.csv15Official |
| Public transport monthly pass | 40 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Lisbon. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
PLA search route through Portal da Oferta Formativa — State Language Course
AIMA / Portal da Oferta Formativa
For migrants seeking Portuguese as a non-native language.
Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) — State Language Course
AIMA / DGEstE public-school network / IEFP / Centros Qualifica
For migrants aged 16 or older whose mother tongue is not Portuguese, residence-permit holders, people with pending residence/protection/NISS evidence.
Climate and air quality
Monthly mean temperatures were 11.3°C in January and 22.7°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 96.8 mm in January and 6.1 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 8.13 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual PM10 was 19.6 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 26.9 µg/m³ in 2024.
Is the air quality good in Lisbon?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
- PM2.5 — annual mean: 8.13 µg/m³ · official validated air-quality station bulk; no exact target station-period input found21
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Lisbon 8.1
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 26.9 µg/m³country median 10.5 | 2024 | official validated air-quality station bulk; no exact target station-period input found21Independent |
| PM10 — annual mean | 19.59 µg/m³country median 18.6 | 2024 | official validated air-quality station bulk; no exact target station-period input found21Independent |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8.13 µg/m³country median 6.2 | 2024 | official validated air-quality station bulk; no exact target station-period input found21Independent |
| Annual mean temperature (modelled) | 16.54 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Annual precipitation (modelled) | 540.6 mm/year | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| January mean temperature (modelled) | 12.91 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| January minimum temperature (modelled) | 4.71 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| July maximum temperature (modelled) | 32.37 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| July mean temperature (modelled) | 19.9 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Daily precipitation rate (modelled) | 1.48 mm/day | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Solar exposure (modelled) | 4.8 kWh/m²/day | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 14.5 · Feb 15.9 · Mar 18.2 · Apr 19.2 · May 21.4 · Jun 24.8 · Jul 27.5 · Aug 27.8 · Sep 26.2 · Oct 22.1 · Nov 18 · Dec 15.2 °C | 31 Dec 2000 | IPMA climate normal — Lisbon Geofísico, 1971-20008Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 8.1 · Feb 9.2 · Mar 10.4 · Apr 11.5 · May 13.3 · Jun 15.9 · Jul 17.9 · Aug 18.1 · Sep 17.3 · Oct 14.6 · Nov 11.5 · Dec 9.5 °C | 31 Dec 2000 | IPMA climate normal — Lisbon Geofísico, 1971-20008Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 11.3 · Feb 12.6 · Mar 14.3 · Apr 15.3 · May 17.3 · Jun 20.3 · Jul 22.7 · Aug 22.9 · Sep 21.7 · Oct 18.4 · Nov 14.8 · Dec 12.4 °C | 31 Dec 2000 | IPMA climate normal — Lisbon Geofísico, 1971-20008Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 96.8 · Feb 90.2 · Mar 51.2 · Apr 64.7 · May 55.6 · Jun 17.2 · Jul 6.1 · Aug 6.8 · Sep 28.5 · Oct 79.8 · Nov 107.1 · Dec 121.8 mm | 31 Dec 2000 | IPMA climate normal — Lisbon Geofísico, 1971-20008Official |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 149.9 · Feb 159.2 · Mar 216.7 · Apr 236.2 · May 277 · Jun 308.1 · Jul 345.1 · Aug 337.4 · Sep 259.1 · Oct 210.1 · Nov 159 · Dec 135 hours | 31 Dec 2000 | IPMA climate normal — Lisbon Geofísico, 1971-20008Official |
Annual PM2.5 fell 26.1% between 2015 and 2024, from 11.0 to 8.1.
Population and city profile
How many people live in Lisbon?
The published population was 575,000 people in 2024. Source: INE Portugal — Censos 2021 official census publication6
Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 202,430 is not 20.2% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport64.8%Foreign residents35.2%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign-resident share | 20.2 % | 31 Dec 2023 | Eurostat3Official |
| Foreign residents | 202,430 people | 31 Dec 2024 | População Estrangeira Residente 2024 — distrito/concelho table16Official |
| Population density | 5,484 people/km² | 2022 | Official INE municipality profile: population density for Lisboa municipality, reference year 2022.12Official |
| Population | 575,000 people | 31 Dec 2024 | INE Portugal — Censos 2021 official census publication6Official |
Population rose 5.7% between 2016 and 2025, from 1,860,247 to 1,965,363.
Foreign residents rose 38.8% between 2014 and 2024, from 145,860 to 202,430.
Alternatives for people set on Lisbon
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Sintra as a Lisbon alternative in the same country
Better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.
- Rent: €11.24/m² Sintra vs €17.42/m² Lisbon−35%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,640 Sintra vs 5,090 Lisbon−48%
- Median gross pay, city: €1,355 Sintra vs €1,856 Lisbon−27%
- Unemployment: 2.4% Sintra vs 3.0% Lisbon−19%
- Foreign residents: 16.3% Sintra vs 20.2% Lisbon−19%
- Nearest airport: 8.6 km Sintra vs 7.2 km Lisbon+19%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.4 µg/m³ Sintra vs 8.1 µg/m³ Lisbon−9%
Brno as a Lisbon alternative in another country
Better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €7.50/m² (2017) Brno vs €17.42/m² (2026) Lisbonno percentage
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,262 (2025) Brno vs 5,090 (2022) Lisbonno percentage
- Transport pass: €23 Brno vs €40 Lisbon−43%
- Nearest airport: 8.0 km Brno vs 7.2 km Lisbon+11%
Alternative cities in Portugal
Other cities in Portugal to compare with Lisbon, nearest in population first.
How does Lisbon compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Lisbon's.
Lisbon in rankings
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 18, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: PLNM (Português Língua Não Materna). How to enrol a child (gov.pt).
A country-wide rule for Portugal; Lisbon's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Lisbon?
The published population was 575,000 people in 2024. Source: INE Portugal — Censos 2021 official census publication.
How much does it cost to rent in Lisbon?
Average net cold rent is 17.42 EUR/m² per month (2026), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 1,219 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE Portugal).
Is the air quality good in Lisbon?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: official validated air-quality station bulk; no exact target station-period input found.
How safe is Lisbon?
Police recorded 5,090 incidents per 100,000 (2022). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022.
What is the typical salary in Lisbon?
The median gross salary is about 1,856 EUR/month (2022). Source: Collected source.
What is the unemployment rate in Lisbon?
The unemployment rate is 3 % (June 2026). Source: IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.
Is Lisbon a good place to live?
Lisbon may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 25). Lisbon, Portugal: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 81724ebbb1dc2468a5ce150f56ec98c2]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/lisbon/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_lisbon-portugal-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_c640dba2ccd9,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Lisbon, Portugal: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-25},
version = {81724ebbb1dc2468a5ce150f56ec98c2},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/lisbon/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Lisbon, Portugal: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/pt/lisbon/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 81724ebbb1dc2468a5ce150f56ec98c2; retrieved 2026-10-25; built 2026-10-25.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- ANACOM COM.escolha — Internet tariff query for Porto postal prefix 4000 ANACOM COM.escolha · anacom.pt · checked 2026-09-11
- Collected source ine.pt · checked 2026-08-04
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
- IEFP — Centro de Emprego e Formação Profissional de Lisboa IEFP · iefp.pt · checked 2026-09-15
- INE — Taxa de criminalidade (‰) por Localização geográfica (NUTS 2013) e Categoria de crime; Anual, indicador 0008074, categoria Total, ano 2022 INE · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-31
- INE Portugal — Censos 2021 official census publication INE Portugal · ine.pt · checked 2026-07-14
- Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE Portugal) ine.pt · checked 2026-08-04
- IPMA climate normal — Lisbon Geofísico, 1971-2000 IPMA climate normal · ipma.pt · checked 2026-07-26
- Lyca Globe S — 10 GB Lyca Globe S · lycamobile.pt · checked 2026-10-09
- NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology NASA POWER · power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-10-25
Show 11 more sources
- Official city transport tariff carris.pt · checked 2026-07-26
- Official INE municipality profile: population density for Lisboa municipality, reference year 2022. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
- Official INE Statistics of Health Personnel indicator 0012837: physicians per 1,000 inhabitants by municipality of residence. Exact municipality row selected by INE DICO geocod; value converted to the requested per-100k unit. ine.pt · checked 2026-07-15
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- População Estrangeira Residente 2024 — distrito/concelho table População Estrangeira Residente 2024 · aima.gov.pt · checked 2026-07-29
- IEFP — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026 IEFP · iefp.pt · checked 2026-07-26
- Lebenshaltungskosten in Lissabon de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26
- Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-14
- Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
- official validated air-quality station bulk; no exact target station-period input found aqportal.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-15
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.