Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mackay

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Mackay: $2,210 and $2,209 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
Learn more

Mackay Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Mackay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,209 in Mackay.

Lisbon $2,210
Mackay $2,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,489 in Mackay.

Lisbon $3,275
Mackay $3,489

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,769 in Mackay.

Lisbon $4,341
Mackay $4,769

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and Mackay; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$17.22 A$24.50

-3.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$75.8 A$108

-18.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$12.42 A$17.67

-8.53%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.30 A$6.12

-30.93%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.39 A$4.82

-32.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.74 A$3.89

-36.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$6.97 A$9.91

-51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.87 A$9.77

-51.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.90 A$2.71

-38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.51 A$3.57

-23.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.82 A$4.02

-46.45%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$6.02 A$8.56

-33.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$9.70 A$13.80

33.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$8.53 A$12.13

-8.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$16.45 A$23.40

7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.69 A$5.25

-37.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.85 A$4.05

-39.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.00 A$4.27

-38.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$6.72 A$9.56

-61.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.53 A$3.59

-28.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.56 A$3.64

-23.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$3.24 A$4.61

-54.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$3.11 A$4.43

-76.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$44.23 A$62.9

-85.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$8.63 A$12.28

-34.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$5.24 A$7.46

-74.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$6.05 A$8.60

-64.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.42 A$3.44

-3.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$68.8 A$97.9

-35.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.88 A$8.36

-34.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.06 A$2.93

-48.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$35.28 A$50.2

-53.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.27 A$1.81

73.23%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$27.1K A$38.6K

26.05%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$35.4K A$50.4K

9.26%

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

$161 €144

$235 A$334

-31.34%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$29.32 A$41.70

-37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$78.9 A$112

-58.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$52.0 A$74.0

-14.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$21.14 A$30.07

-9.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$16.46 A$23.40

-41.68%

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

$668 €598

$1,860 A$2,645

-64.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$6,747 A$9,596

161.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$71.1 A$101

43.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$50.0 A$71.1

-11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$123 A$175

-19.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$105 A$150

17.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$956 A$1,360

68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$829 A$1,180

43.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,903 A$2,707

47.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,779 A$2,530

13.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$3,115 A$4,430

151.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$1,763 A$2,508

159.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$5,517 A$7,846

-71.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.63

-31.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 30.3% $361

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 47% $128

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 23.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 61.5% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 5.3% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 33.3% $21

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 49.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $956 in Mackay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mackay pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $76 in Mackay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $400 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

17:59 5:59 PM

10 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

80,455

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Mackay 17,170 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Mackay

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 Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $956 in Mackay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 35% less than in Mackay. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Mackay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Mackay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.