Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mahe Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mahe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,779 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,453 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,128 in Mahe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 24% more expensive than Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Mahe 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$15.43 SCR 223

3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$69.8 SCR 1,010

-7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$8.22 SCR 119

27.86%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.38 SCR 63.4

-34.47%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.37 SCR 34.24

-5.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.81 SCR 26.20

-17.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$8.24 SCR 119

-57.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.18 SCR 75.0

-25.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.59 SCR 23.04

-28.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.09 SCR 15.79

60.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.73 SCR 24.99

1.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.16 SCR 60.2

-22.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$15.63 SCR 226

-13.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.88 SCR 114

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.51 SCR 181

26.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.06 SCR 29.77

12.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.23 SCR 32.29

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$5.15 SCR 74.5

-52.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.96 SCR 13.83

91.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.96 SCR 13.84

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.06 SCR 15.34

82.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$12.15 SCR 176

-45.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.11 SCR 30.56

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.06 SCR 29.81

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.85 SCR 12.24

178.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$23.89 SCR 346

90.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$10.24 SCR 148

-58.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.21 SCR 46.39

-74.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$10.20 SCR 148

79.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.56 SCR 22.58

32.05%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$39.3K €33.8K

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

$148 €127

$84.0 SCR 1,216

76.06%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$21.09 SCR 305

-2.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$161 SCR 2,324

-75.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$52.5 SCR 760

-8.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.28 SCR 91.0

46.18%

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

$614 €529

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$27.27 SCR 395

283.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$10.82 SCR 157

288.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$43.47 SCR 629

116.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$55.2 SCR 799

116.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$815 SCR 11.8K

99.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$852 SCR 12.3K

47.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,740 SCR 25.2K

74.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,031 SCR 14.9K

95.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$897 SCR 13.0K

78.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mahe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $815 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 79% 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 $70.0 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $243, with Mahe cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mahe differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,779 including rent). Mahe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 79% 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 $815 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,779 in Mahe – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,779 in Mahe versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahe but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mahe 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 Mahe 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 Mahe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.