Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madurai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madurai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $431 in Madurai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $698 in Madurai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $966 in Madurai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 432% more expensive than in Madurai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Madurai is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$1.79 ₹172

804.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$11.45 ₹1,104

453.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.08 ₹489

103.15%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.75 ₹169

61.71%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.68 ₹65.4

236.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.20 ₹19.27

690.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.82 ₹176

86.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.98 ₹288

35.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.60 ₹58.3

81.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.53 ₹51.3

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.76 ₹73.1

131.58%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$0.89 ₹86.1

256.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.07 ₹681

86.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.71 ₹358

114.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.26 ₹314

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.79 ₹76.5

116.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.98 ₹191

1.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.56 ₹54.4

333.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.81 ₹78.4

117.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.78 ₹75.7

160.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.70 ₹67.8

174.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.52 ₹50.6

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.48 ₹432

46.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.82 ₹657

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.21 ₹214

-39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$4.49 ₹433

-33.85%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.63 ₹639

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.22 ₹21.20

936.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$11.71 ₹1,129

291.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.07 ₹103

295.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.22 ₹21.14

268.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$1.14 ₹110

1517.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.16 ₹112

79.31%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$17.8K ₹1.7M

94.84%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.8K ₹2.2M

72.09%

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

$148 €130

$31.76 ₹3,063

366.15%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$3.94 ₹380

419.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$7.60 ₹733

420.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$17.43 ₹1,681

175.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$7.14 ₹689

160.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$2.69 ₹259

242.75%

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

$616 €540

$61.1 ₹5,891

908.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,921 ₹185.2K

756.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$26.64 ₹2,569

285.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$27.65 ₹2,667

50.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$49.12 ₹4,737

92.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$49.08 ₹4,733

148.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$116 ₹11.2K

1304.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$74.8 ₹7,213

1547.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$325 ₹31.3K

854.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$204 ₹19.7K

896.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,195 ₹115.3K

555.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$473 ₹45.7K

827.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$353 ₹34.0K

355.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.8

-61.12%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Madurai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $116 in Madurai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 356% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $11.00 in Madurai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $136 per month, with Madurai 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 Madurai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Madurai differ by about 432% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $431 including rent). Madurai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 356% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $116 in Madurai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $61.1 in Madurai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $431 in Madurai versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madurai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Madurai 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 Madurai 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 Madurai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 432% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.