Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mahdia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mahdia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $575 in Mahdia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $864 in Mahdia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,154 in Mahdia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 287% more expensive than Mahdia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Mahdia is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$2.58 TND 7.45

526.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$20.27 TND 58.6

218.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$3.34 TND 9.65

210.78%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$0.72 TND 2.07

284.72%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.56 TND 1.63

301.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.18 TND 0.53

772.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.03 TND 2.99

238.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$1.53 TND 4.43

161.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.40 TND 1.15

170.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.20 TND 0.59

770.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.48 TND 4.26

17.57%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.64 TND 4.74

93.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$11.18 TND 32.32

20.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$5.80 TND 16.76

37.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$13.50 TND 39.02

19.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.27 TND 6.55

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.85 TND 8.23

-39.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.06 TND 3.06

83.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.70 TND 2.01

262.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.71 TND 2.04

157.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.35 TND 1.03

482.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.35 TND 1.02

465.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.30 TND 0.88

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.46 TND 10.00

97.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$3.52 TND 10.19

64.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.15 TND 3.32

19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.06 TND 3.05

173.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.36 TND 1.03

533.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$10.34 TND 29.87

353.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.30 TND 0.86

1260.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.26 TND 0.76

215.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.39 TND 21.37

147.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.76 TND 2.19

164.47%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$35.9K TND 103.8K

-1.83%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$34.6K TND 100.0K

11.22%

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

$145 €124

$45.58 TND 132

219.00%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$9.49 TND 27.42

120.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$15.03 TND 43.44

166.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$21.14 TND 61.1

130.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$7.53 TND 21.75

148.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.59 TND 13.26

97.39%

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

$607 €519

$110 TND 316

453.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,000 TND 2,890

1533.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$45.39 TND 131

130.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$33.74 TND 97.5

21.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$103 TND 297

-9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$23.54 TND 68.0

403.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$147 TND 424

993.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$135 TND 391

813.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$288 TND 833

956.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$164 TND 474

1153.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$678 TND 1,961

1036.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$207 TND 597

1964.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$241 TND 697

556.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

13.6

-71.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $147 in Mahdia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 556% 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 $20.00 in Mahdia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $180 per month, with Mahdia 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 Mahdia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mahdia differ by about 287% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $575 including rent). Mahdia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 556% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $147 in Mahdia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $110 in Mahdia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $575 in Mahdia versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mahdia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mahdia 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 Mahdia 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 Mahdia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 287% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.