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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $570 in Mahdia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $903 in Mahdia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $1,236 in Mahdia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 307% more expensive than in Mahdia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Mahdia is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$2.49 TND 7.17

586.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$20.18 TND 58.2

217.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$4.86 TND 14.01

140.95%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$0.99 TND 2.84

217.17%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$0.63 TND 1.82

298.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.19 TND 0.54

773.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$1.04 TND 3.01

237.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$1.51 TND 4.36

123.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$0.43 TND 1.24

169.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.29 TND 0.84

596.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.36 TND 3.91

16.18%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$1.62 TND 4.66

150.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$11.80 TND 34.01

8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$5.07 TND 14.61

58.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$14.79 TND 42.65

15.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.32 TND 6.70

2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.92 TND 8.43

-37.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.48 TND 4.26

34.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$0.76 TND 2.18

251.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.60 TND 1.73

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.32 TND 0.93

515.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.45 TND 1.28

217.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.35 TND 1.02

160.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$3.39 TND 9.77

101.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$3.36 TND 9.68

70.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.65 TND 4.75

-19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.33 TND 3.83

60.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.33 TND 0.95

627.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$13.73 TND 39.59

234.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$0.30 TND 0.86

1316.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.28 TND 0.81

296.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$0.89 TND 2.56

147.19%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$41.0K TND 118.1K

-14.06%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$40.2K TND 115.8K

-0.28%

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

$171 €146

$57.3 TND 165

198.60%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$5.65 TND 16.30

247.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$23.39 TND 67.4

41.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$21.44 TND 61.8

123.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$7.77 TND 22.41

155.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$6.78 TND 19.54

49.26%

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

$700 €599

$113 TND 325

520.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$1,035 TND 2,985

1576.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$39.88 TND 115

173.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$34.63 TND 99.8

38.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$79.3 TND 229

33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$23.98 TND 69.1

425.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$130 TND 375

1212.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$103 TND 297

1129.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$306 TND 883

870.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$180 TND 518

1013.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$679 TND 1,959

1079.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$208 TND 600

2072.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$242 TND 698

587.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

10.33

-63.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $130 in Mahdia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 587% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $20.00 in Mahdia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $189 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 307% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $570 including rent). Mahdia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 587% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $130 in Mahdia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $113 in Mahdia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $570 in Mahdia versus $2,322 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 307% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.