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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,033 in Bel Air.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,680 in Bel Air.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,327 in Bel Air.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 114% more expensive than Bel Air, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Bel Air is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.59 MUR 311

141.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$43.25 MUR 2,044

49.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.21 MUR 341

45.77%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.13 MUR 53.4

153.98%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.96 MUR 45.35

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.56 MUR 26.29

167.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.68 MUR 79.2

107.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.39 MUR 160

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.61 MUR 76.1

-29.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.71 MUR 33.60

146.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.26 MUR 59.7

39.68%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.31 MUR 109

39.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.81 MUR 558

14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.08 MUR 287

30.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$12.86 MUR 608

23.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.04 MUR 96.3

13.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.95 MUR 92.4

-12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.51 MUR 71.5

33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.64 MUR 125

-6.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.04 MUR 49.04

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.01 MUR 47.80

98.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.85 MUR 40.27

127.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.77 MUR 36.27

2.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.55 MUR 309

0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.59 MUR 406

-33.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.72 MUR 81.4

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.22 MUR 105

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.00 MUR 47.39

137.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.37 MUR 207

-1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.62 MUR 124

-68.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$19.90 MUR 940

-8.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.46 MUR 69.1

41.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$35.1K MUR 1.7M

-2.24%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

34.39%

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

$148 €127

$50.0 MUR 2,365

195.50%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.60 MUR 879

10.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$34.07 MUR 1,610

16.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$38.80 MUR 1,833

23.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.94 MUR 280

54.55%

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

$614 €528

$156 MUR 7,348

294.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,945 MUR 186.4K

306.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$85.3 MUR 4,032

22.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$79.6 MUR 3,762

-47.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$130 MUR 6,161

-27.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$96.2 MUR 4,545

24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$520 MUR 24.5K

213.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$346 MUR 16.4K

262.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$943 MUR 44.6K

221.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$718 MUR 33.9K

181.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bel Air: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $520 in Bel Air. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Bel Air for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $231 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 114% 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 $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,550 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $520 in Bel Air. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,033 in Bel Air – a 114% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,033 in Bel Air versus $2,210 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 $1,033 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 114% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.