Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bugibba

For one person, living is cheaper in Bugibba: $1,739 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Bugibba, Malta
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Bugibba
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,739
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bugibba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Bugibba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,739 in Bugibba, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Bugibba $1,739

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,712 in Bugibba, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Bugibba $2,712

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,686 in Bugibba, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Bugibba $3,686

Lisbon costs about 27% more than Bugibba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Bugibba sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Bugibba by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$17.04 €15.27
-2.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$79.1 €70.8
-21.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$11.25 €10.08
0.98%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$3.04 €2.73
-2.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.32 €2.08
-1.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.98 €1.78
-12.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$4.60 €4.12
-26.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$3.26 €2.92
1.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.35 €1.21
-14.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.42 €1.27
34.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.27 €2.03
-33.48%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.26 €2.92
23.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$10.17 €9.11
27.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$9.61 €8.61
-19.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$11.89 €10.65
49.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.29 €2.05
0.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.09 €1.87
-17.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.47 €2.21
-24.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$1.83 €1.64
41.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.91 €1.71
-4.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.35 €1.21
45.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.68 €1.51
-12.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.62 €0.55
16.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$6.12 €5.48
7.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$5.66 €5.07
-0.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.65 €1.48
-17.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.48 €1.32
44.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.48 €2.22
-6.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.45 €3.09
11.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.82 €1.63
-41.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$32.57 €29.17
-49.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.52 €1.36
44.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$24.4K €21.9K
39.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$30.2K €27.1K
28.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$75.6 €67.7
113.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$17.46 €15.64
5.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$28.90 €25.88
13.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$71.7 €64.2
-37.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$32.96 €29.52
-42.05%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$11.32 €10.14
-15.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$273 €245
144.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$12.5K €11.2K
41.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$57.7 €51.6
76.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$68.9 €61.7
-35.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$113 €101
-12.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$132 €118
-6.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$1,089 €975
47.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$827 €741
43.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$1,643 €1,471
71.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$1,404 €1,257
43.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Bugibba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$2,100 €1,881
-25.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.05
-4.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bugibba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Bugibba
$827 30.5% $363
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Bugibba
$252 7.4% $20
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Bugibba
$253 4.4% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Bugibba
$122 42.6% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Bugibba
$167 0.8% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Bugibba
$94 47.9% $31
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Bugibba
$22 * 64.4% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,089 in Bugibba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Bugibba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $79 in Bugibba. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $252 in Bugibba – so Bugibba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇹 Bugibba
🕒 Local time
05:47 5:47 AM
06:47 6:47 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
32,042
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Bugibba 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Bugibba

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
Lisbon vs Bugibba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Bugibba compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $1,739 in Bugibba – Bugibba comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Bugibba?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,608 in Bugibba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Bugibba?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bugibba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,089 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Bugibba?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,739 in Bugibba. That makes Bugibba about 21% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Bugibba?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $273 in Bugibba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Bugibba?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,739 in Bugibba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Bugibba?
It depends on your priorities. Bugibba has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,739 in Bugibba to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Bugibba safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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