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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $412 in Madurai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $664 in Madurai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $916 in Madurai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 457% more expensive than in Madurai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Madurai is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$1.71 ₹165

928.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$10.27 ₹985

512.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.09 ₹392

183.13%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.33 ₹223

33.05%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.57 ₹54.8

336.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.24 ₹23.04

625.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.15 ₹206

61.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.88 ₹372

-11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.58 ₹55.6

98.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.54 ₹51.7

253.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.64 ₹61.4

134.38%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$0.80 ₹76.5

397.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$5.79 ₹555

129.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$2.98 ₹286

168.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.96 ₹284

-20.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.69 ₹65.9

153.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.66 ₹160

11.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.50 ₹47.79

410.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.60 ₹58.0

206.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.69 ₹66.6

204.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.67 ₹64.2

122.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.31 ₹29.89

164.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.09 ₹488

39.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.51 ₹1,009

-43.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.07 ₹198

-36.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.44 ₹426

-52.03%

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

$9.67 ₹928

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.20 ₹19.16

1080.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$10.28 ₹986

353.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.17 ₹113

248.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.35 ₹33.76

225.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$1.23 ₹118

1289.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.04 ₹100

122.12%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$18.7K ₹1.8M

82.42%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$24.2K ₹2.3M

70.73%

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

$169 €147

$23.06 ₹2,212

630.92%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$4.79 ₹460

303.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$7.54 ₹723

344.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$15.56 ₹1,493

213.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$6.59 ₹632

194.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$2.58 ₹247

270.93%

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

$696 €607

$41.57 ₹3,988

1574.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,536 ₹147.3K

1030.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$25.43 ₹2,439

314.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$25.87 ₹2,482

84.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$53.5 ₹5,135

87.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$32.08 ₹3,077

287.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$147 ₹14.1K

1030.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$81.8 ₹7,843

1424.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$304 ₹29.1K

876.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$202 ₹19.4K

913.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,132 ₹108.6K

592.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$484 ₹46.4K

823.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$355 ₹34.0K

359.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.59

-60.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Madurai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $147 in Madurai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 360% 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 $10.00 in Madurai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $127 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 457% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $412 including rent). Madurai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 360% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $147 in Madurai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $41.57 in Madurai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $412 in Madurai versus $2,296 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 457% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.