Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Luqa

For one person, living is cheaper in Luqa: $1,845 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Luqa
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Luqa Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Luqa

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Luqa

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 Luqa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,845 in Luqa.

Lisbon $2,210
Luqa $1,845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,902 in Luqa.

Lisbon $3,275
Luqa $2,902

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,960 in Luqa.

Lisbon $4,341
Luqa $3,960

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than in Luqa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Luqa 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.85

$19.96 €17.81

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.1

$99.9 €89.1

-38.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.13

$10.81 €9.65

5.09%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.65

$3.40 €3.03

-12.65%

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

$2.29 €2.04

$2.89 €2.58

-20.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.97 €1.76

-11.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.04

$4.54 €4.05

-25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.95

$4.27 €3.81

-22.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.14 €1.02

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.16 €1.03

64.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$3.17 €2.83

-52.37%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.59

$3.93 €3.51

2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.54

$13.31 €11.87

-2.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.94

$9.92 €8.85

-21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.85

$15.81 €14.10

12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.74 €2.44

-16.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.97 €1.76

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.99 €2.66

-37.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$3.72 €3.32

-30.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.79 €1.60

1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.93 €1.72

-23.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.89 €0.80

-19.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.87

$6.84 €6.10

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.00

$7.17 €6.40

-21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.50 €1.34

-9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.25 €2.00

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.19 €1.95

6.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €39.86

$14.44 €12.89

209.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.43

$4.52 €4.03

-14.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.64 €1.46

-34.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.69

$39.01 €34.81

-57.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.46 €1.30

50.68%

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

$34.2K €30.5K

$24.9K €22.2K

37.18%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$39.5K €35.2K

-1.87%

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

$161 €144

$74.9 €66.8

115.36%

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

$18.41 €16.43

$35.83 €31.96

-48.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.21

$33.44 €29.83

-2.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.74

$53.2 €47.49

-16.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.04

$55.2 €49.23

-65.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.56

$11.10 €9.91

-13.51%

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

$668 €596

$611 €545

9.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$13.6K €12.1K

29.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$145 €129

-29.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.67

$55.0 €49.04

-19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.9

$85.1 €76.0

15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$135 €121

-8.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,435

$811 €724

98.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,062

$819 €731

45.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,509

$1,284 €1,146

119.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,796

$1,298 €1,158

55.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €6,994

$2,945 €2,627

166.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,082

$3,120 €2,784

46.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,405

$1,456 €1,299

8.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.22

19.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Luqa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Luqa

$819 44.4% 31.2% $371

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Luqa

$299 16.2% 9.6% $26

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Luqa

$284 15.4% 16.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Luqa

$144 7.8% 32.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Luqa

$189 10.2% 14% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Luqa

$75 4.1% 18.3% $12

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Luqa

$36 2% 43.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $811 in Luqa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $100 in Luqa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $299 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇲🇹 Luqa

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

20:02 8:02 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

5,900

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Luqa 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Luqa

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 Luqa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,845 in Luqa, so Luqa is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $811 in Luqa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $611 in Luqa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Luqa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Luqa wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.