Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madeira Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madeira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,596 in Madeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,338 in Madeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,080 in Madeira.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 38% more expensive than Madeira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Madeira 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$11.37 €9.79

39.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$45.81 €39.44

41.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.24 €7.95

13.74%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.18 €1.87

31.65%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.86 €1.60

20.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.36 €1.17

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.35 €2.03

48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.37 €2.90

15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.09 €0.94

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.58 €1.36

10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.65 €1.42

6.67%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.13 €2.69

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.38 €9.79

18.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.62 €6.56

3.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$14.25 €12.27

11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.28 €1.97

1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.49 €1.28

14.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.77 €1.52

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.59 €2.23

-5.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.45 €1.25

26.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.90 €1.64

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.62 €1.39

19.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.78 €0.67

1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$5.91 €5.09

11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.16 €4.44

10.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.27 €1.09

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.30 €1.98

29.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.25 €1.94

5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$42.56 €36.64

7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.09 €3.52

4.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.85 €0.74

-3.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$17.11 €14.73

6.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.98 €1.71

4.04%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.6K €29.8K

-1.04%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$39.4K €33.9K

-0.27%

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

$148 €127

$134 €115

10.71%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$21.61 €18.60

-5.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$41.97 €36.13

-5.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$44.35 €38.18

7.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$8.17 €7.03

12.36%

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

$614 €529

$467 €402

31.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,341 €7,181

92.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$73.0 €62.8

43.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$38.84 €33.44

8.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$93.5 €80.5

0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$91.8 €79.0

30.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$930 €800

75.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$723 €622

73.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,453 €1,251

108.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,145 €986

76.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$3,071 €2,644

153.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$2,294 €1,975

86.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.01

-23.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Madeira: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $930 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $247 per month, with Madeira 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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Madeira differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,596 including rent). Madeira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,394 in Madeira 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 $930 in Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $467 in Madeira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,596 in Madeira versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Madeira but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Madeira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Madeira 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 Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.