Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,636 in Maia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,479 in Maia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,322 in Maia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 40% more expensive than in Maia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Maia 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.20

$11.41 €10.00

41.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$47.05 €41.25

34.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.05

$9.46 €8.30

9.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.10 €1.84

34.76%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.00 €1.75

14.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.38 €1.21

14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.29 €2.01

48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.54 €3.11

13.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.11 €0.97

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.50 €1.32

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.69 €1.48

4.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.78

$3.13 €2.74

1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.57

$11.30 €9.91

16.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.99

$7.18 €6.30

11.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.62

$14.04 €12.31

10.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.08

$2.35 €2.06

0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.55 €1.36

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.00 €1.75

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.44 €2.14

-0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.63 €1.43

7.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.91 €1.68

6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.55 €1.36

23.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.78 €0.68

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.77

$6.16 €5.40

6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.68 €4.10

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.09 €0.96

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.61

$2.37 €2.08

25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.00

$2.63 €2.31

-13.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.15

$45.68 €40.05

0.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.71

$4.08 €3.58

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.75 €0.65

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.17

$14.31 €12.55

28.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.98 €1.73

5.05%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$34.1K €29.9K

1.65%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$39.3K €34.5K

-0.39%

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

$148 €130

$141 €124

4.80%

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

$20.46 €17.94

$21.96 €19.25

-6.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.68

$39.20 €34.37

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.08

$46.87 €41.10

2.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.31

$34.66 €30.39

-46.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.09

$8.88 €7.78

3.83%

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

$616 €540

$290 €254

112.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,437 €7,397

94.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.1

$74.1 €65.0

38.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.60

$34.50 €30.25

20.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.1

$92.4 €81.0

2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$112 €97.9

9.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,431

$1,120 €982

45.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,081

$719 €630

71.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,717

$1,740 €1,525

78.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,781

$1,290 €1,131

57.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,866

$3,119 €2,735

151.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,849

$1,740 €1,526

152.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,409

$1,445 €1,267

11.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.43

-29.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Maia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,120 in Maia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 11% 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 $47.00 in Maia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $242 per month, with Maia 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 Maia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Maia differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,636 including rent). Maia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,120 in Maia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $290 in Maia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,636 in Maia versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Maia 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 Maia 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 Maia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.