Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Medano and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in El Medano: $1,446 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

70

Cost of Living Index in El Medano
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El Medano Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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El Medano

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,446

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,446 per month in El Medano vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

El Medano $1,446
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $2,385 per month in El Medano vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

El Medano $2,385
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in El Medano vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

El Medano $3,324
Lisbon $4,346

El Medano is about 34% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both El Medano and Lisbon sit above the global median – El Medano by 7%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 €17.89

$17.04 €15.15

18.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 €54.4

$62.3 €55.4

-1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 €9.85

$11.02 €9.80

0.45%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.77

$3.12 €2.78

-36.22%

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

$1.90 €1.69

$2.27 €2.02

-16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.74 €1.55

-25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 €2.50

$3.42 €3.04

-17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.94

$3.74 €3.33

-11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.17 €1.04

13.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.86 €1.66

31.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.54 €1.37

-0.65%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.62

$4.06 €3.61

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 €12.96

$12.91 €11.49

12.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 €7.88

$7.90 €7.03

12.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 €15.63

$17.64 €15.69

-0.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.26 €2.01

9.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.75 €1.55

34.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.89 €1.68

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.56 €2.27

-1.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.85 €1.64

12.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.97 €1.75

-2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.45 €1.29

15.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.77 €0.69

25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 €4.88

$6.71 €5.97

-18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 €6.80

$5.67 €5.04

34.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.37 €1.22

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.11 €1.88

-36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.49

$2.32 €2.07

-28.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.80 €22.06

$44.43 €39.52

-44.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.78

$3.95 €3.51

7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.05 €0.93

63.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.01 €15.13

$17.15 €15.26

-0.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$2.19 €1.95

-42.47%

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

$26.7K €23.7K

$33.8K €30.0K

-21.09%

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

$31.3K €27.8K

$38.3K €34.0K

-18.21%

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

$98.8 €87.9

$164 €146

-39.71%

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

$22.80 €20.28

$18.48 €16.43

23.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.05 €31.18

$32.96 €29.32

6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.45 €40.43

$45.87 €40.80

-0.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.44 €12.85

$18.68 €16.61

-22.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.67 €8.60

$9.75 €8.67

-0.82%

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

$406 €361

$684 €608

-40.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 €4,568

$17.6K €15.7K

-70.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €81.2

$104 €92.3

-11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 €36.89

$46.20 €41.09

-10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 €82.3

$99.7 €88.7

-7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$125 €111

-9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 €786

$1,589 €1,414

-44.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 €420

$1,169 €1,040

-59.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 €1,193

$2,851 €2,536

-52.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €912

$1,993 €1,773

-48.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,400 €3,024

$7,793 €6,932

-56.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,990 €1,770

$4,418 €3,930

-54.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

3.85

-7.53%

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

Last update for El Medano: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

El Medano

$473 32.7%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 147% $696

Groceries & Markets

El Medano

$304 21%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 10.3% $31

Eating Out

El Medano

$251 17.4%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 1.5% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Medano

$157 10.8%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 37.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

El Medano

$152 10.5%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 10.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

El Medano

$65 4.5%

Lisbon

$65 3% 0.9% $0.6

Getting Around

El Medano

$44 3.1%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 42% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $884 in El Medano versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in El Medano versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in El Medano vs $273 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 El Medano

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

Same time as El Medano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,500

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

El Medano Lisbon 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

El Medano
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

El Medano vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,446 in El Medano, $2,202 in Lisbon – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,170 per month in El Medano and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Medano, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $406 per month in El Medano and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Medano, where all-in costs run around $1,446, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In El Medano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,446 in El Medano to $2,202 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with El Medano. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.