Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malda Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $544 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $684 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $824 in Malda.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 310% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Malda is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$3.26 ₹309

396.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$11.62 ₹1,103

455.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$3.52 ₹334

194.89%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.79 ₹170

54.75%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.40 ₹38.23

462.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.15 ₹14.12

946.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.72 ₹163

102.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.88 ₹273

38.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.63 ₹59.5

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.43 ₹40.75

304.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.49 ₹46.59

255.10%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$0.80 ₹76.4

297.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$5.41 ₹514

148.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$2.53 ₹240

215.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.51 ₹238

-9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.79 ₹75.3

117.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.28 ₹121

51.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.65 ₹61.6

290.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.28 ₹26.35

553.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.33 ₹31.73

518.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.42 ₹39.47

371.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.17 ₹16.31

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.86 ₹367

77.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$9.81 ₹931

-41.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.68 ₹160

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.48 ₹236

16.94%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$2.50 ₹238

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.30 ₹28.53

660.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$8.64 ₹820

442.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.55 ₹52.4

641.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.28 ₹26.29

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$2.08 ₹197

778.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.24 ₹118

62.10%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$15.9K ₹1.5M

121.47%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$22.9K ₹2.2M

67.94%

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

$145 €124

$41.19 ₹3,911

253.00%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$3.85 ₹365

444.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$5.78 ₹549

592.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$16.15 ₹1,533

202.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$6.99 ₹664

167.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.02 ₹382

125.37%

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

$607 €519

$43.03 ₹4,085

1309.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,600 ₹151.9K

920.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$8.06 ₹765

1198.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$8.03 ₹762

409.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$48.87 ₹4,640

91.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$9.14 ₹868

1197.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$289 ₹27.5K

454.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$231 ₹21.9K

435.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$411 ₹39.0K

641.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$182 ₹17.3K

1031.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$378 ₹35.9K

319.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.9

-61.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Malda: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $289 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 319% 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 $12.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $109 per month, with Malda 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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Malda differ by about 310% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $544 including rent). Malda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 319% 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 $289 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $43.03 in Malda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $544 in Malda versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Malda but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Malda 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 Malda 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 Malda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.