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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $426 in Madurai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $697 in Madurai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $968 in Madurai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 419% more expensive than Madurai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Madurai is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$1.78 ₹171

793.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$11.57 ₹1,108

459.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.11 ₹489

105.68%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.78 ₹170

61.24%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.68 ₹65.5

229.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.22 ₹21.07

581.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.89 ₹181

84.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.84 ₹272

36.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.65 ₹61.9

75.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.53 ₹50.4

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.80 ₹76.4

120.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$0.85 ₹81.7

278.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$6.93 ₹663

94.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.59 ₹344

120.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.24 ₹310

-28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.80 ₹76.9

112.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.00 ₹192

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.58 ₹55.1

324.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.81 ₹77.8

127.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.78 ₹74.9

156.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.71 ₹67.7

171.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.53 ₹50.7

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.51 ₹432

46.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.61 ₹632

-13.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.30 ₹220

-40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$4.39 ₹420

-32.35%

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

$6.68 ₹640

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.24 ₹23.10

887.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$11.85 ₹1,134

284.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.04 ₹99.1

312.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.24 ₹22.99

241.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$1.14 ₹109

1505.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.22 ₹117

68.85%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

86.70%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.9K ₹2.2M

71.43%

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

$148 €127

$31.45 ₹3,009

370.17%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$4.01 ₹383

411.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$8.00 ₹766

395.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$17.12 ₹1,638

179.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$7.10 ₹680

166.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$2.69 ₹258

241.26%

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

$614 €529

$62.2 ₹5,947

887.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,864 ₹178.4K

760.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$26.45 ₹2,531

295.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$26.69 ₹2,554

57.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$48.11 ₹4,604

95.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$48.93 ₹4,682

144.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$115 ₹11.0K

1318.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$74.9 ₹7,170

1575.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$324 ₹31.0K

836.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$210 ₹20.1K

864.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,199 ₹114.7K

550.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$470 ₹44.9K

809.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$362 ₹34.7K

342.81%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Madurai: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $115 in Madurai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 343% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $12.00 in Madurai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 419% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $426 including rent). Madurai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 343% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $115 in Madurai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $62.2 in Madurai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $426 in Madurai versus $2,210 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 419% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.