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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $542 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $680 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $819 in Malda.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 318% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Malda is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$3.16 ₹301

404.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$11.53 ₹1,097

449.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$3.42 ₹326

203.51%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.88 ₹179

48.40%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.38 ₹35.69

515.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.13 ₹12.13

1107.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.78 ₹169

92.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.94 ₹280

32.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.58 ₹55.3

86.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.43 ₹40.51

311.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.53 ₹50.7

222.64%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$0.80 ₹76.5

293.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$5.32 ₹506

157.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$2.61 ₹248

206.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.42 ₹231

-5.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.79 ₹74.9

107.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.25 ₹119

55.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.66 ₹62.4

280.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.30 ₹28.71

496.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.33 ₹31.47

509.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.44 ₹42.03

347.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.15 ₹14.12

460.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.06 ₹386

67.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$8.33 ₹792

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.74 ₹165

-20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.51 ₹239

20.32%

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

$2.41 ₹230

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.28 ₹26.42

710.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$8.84 ₹841

414.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.59 ₹56.4

627.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.30 ₹28.65

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$2.07 ₹197

783.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.18 ₹113

68.64%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$15.7K ₹1.5M

123.51%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$22.5K ₹2.1M

75.95%

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

$146 €126

$41.81 ₹3,976

249.63%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$4.04 ₹384

406.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$5.91 ₹562

559.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$16.14 ₹1,535

203.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$6.95 ₹661

170.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$4.10 ₹390

132.20%

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

$608 €524

$43.41 ₹4,128

1300.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$1,569 ₹149.2K

952.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$8.13 ₹773

1177.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$8.10 ₹770

420.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$48.72 ₹4,633

89.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$9.10 ₹865

1219.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$291 ₹27.6K

458.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$229 ₹21.8K

452.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$403 ₹38.4K

655.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$178 ₹17.0K

1026.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Malda: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $291 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $12.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $105 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 318% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $542 including rent). Malda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $813 in Malda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $291 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $43.41 in Malda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 156% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $542 in Malda versus $2,263 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 318% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.