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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $567 in Mahdia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $865 in Mahdia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,163 in Mahdia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 299% more expensive than Mahdia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Mahdia is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$2.57 TND 7.51

520.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$20.61 TND 60.1

207.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$3.46 TND 10.09

200.00%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$0.71 TND 2.07

292.96%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.62 TND 1.81

277.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.20 TND 0.57

685.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.03 TND 3.02

233.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$1.54 TND 4.50

153.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.40 TND 1.17

170.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.18 TND 0.51

883.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.56 TND 4.54

9.62%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.57 TND 4.57

100.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$11.22 TND 32.74

21.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$5.54 TND 16.16

44.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$13.27 TND 38.71

16.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.22 TND 6.47

3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.90 TND 8.47

-43.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.00 TND 2.92

94.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.68 TND 1.97

269.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.69 TND 2.02

159.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.32 TND 0.94

528.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.33 TND 0.96

496.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.31 TND 0.90

170.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.60 TND 10.51

88.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$3.42 TND 9.97

65.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.10 TND 3.20

26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.11 TND 3.23

172.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.35 TND 1.02

548.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$10.12 TND 29.52

349.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.30 TND 0.87

1330.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.24 TND 0.70

254.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$7.37 TND 21.51

148.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.81 TND 2.37

145.68%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$35.7K TND 104.1K

-1.80%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$35.2K TND 102.6K

12.45%

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

$146 €126

$46.09 TND 134

217.16%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$9.47 TND 27.62

115.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$14.63 TND 42.68

166.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$20.51 TND 59.9

138.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$7.76 TND 22.63

142.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$4.59 TND 13.40

107.41%

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

$608 €524

$109 TND 318

457.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$1,009 TND 2,945

1535.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$45.07 TND 131

130.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$33.45 TND 97.6

25.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$101 TND 296

-8.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$23.69 TND 69.1

406.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$146 TND 425

1013.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$137 TND 399

826.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$288 TND 841

957.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$161 TND 469

1149.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,028 TND 3,000

645.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$639 TND 1,864

577.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$241 TND 702

558.66%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $146 in Mahdia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 559% 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 $21.00 in Mahdia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $178 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 299% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $567 including rent). Mahdia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 559% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $146 in Mahdia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $109 in Mahdia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $567 in Mahdia versus $2,263 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 299% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.