Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bel Air Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bel Air

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,057 in Bel Air.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,702 in Bel Air.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,346 in Bel Air.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 117% more expensive than in Bel Air, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Bel Air is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.73 MUR 316

140.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$43.52 MUR 2,044

45.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.25 MUR 341

42.34%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.13 MUR 53.1

150.44%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.97 MUR 45.80

136.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.60 MUR 28.28

163.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.63 MUR 76.8

108.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.39 MUR 159

18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.62 MUR 76.1

-32.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.69 MUR 32.65

153.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.33 MUR 62.7

32.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.35 MUR 110

34.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$11.80 MUR 554

11.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.28 MUR 295

26.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.68 MUR 596

22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.08 MUR 97.5

13.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.99 MUR 93.6

-14.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.43 MUR 67.3

40.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.72 MUR 128

-10.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.04 MUR 48.77

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.94 MUR 44.16

115.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.81 MUR 38.04

137.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.80 MUR 37.42

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.67 MUR 313

-1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.33 MUR 391

-33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.79 MUR 84.0

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.26 MUR 106

31.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.00 MUR 47.21

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.50 MUR 211

-6.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.71 MUR 127

-70.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$19.44 MUR 913

-5.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.46 MUR 68.7

42.47%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-2.41%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

36.68%

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

$148 €130

$49.02 MUR 2,303

202.02%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$18.60 MUR 874

10.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$32.91 MUR 1,546

20.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$37.59 MUR 1,766

27.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$5.92 MUR 278

55.74%

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

$616 €539

$157 MUR 7,367

292.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,903 MUR 183.4K

321.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$85.5 MUR 4,019

20.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$79.0 MUR 3,709

-47.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$129 MUR 6,079

-26.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$95.2 MUR 4,474

28.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$505 MUR 23.7K

223.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$358 MUR 16.8K

243.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$958 MUR 45.0K

223.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$732 MUR 34.4K

177.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bel Air: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $505 in Bel Air. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Bel Air for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $232 per month, with Bel Air 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

Lisbon vs Bel Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Air the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,586 in Bel Air to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $505 in Bel Air. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,057 in Bel Air – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,057 in Bel Air versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Air but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Air the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Air delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,057 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Air hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bel Air 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 Bel Air gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.