Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,325 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,090 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,856 in Maldonado.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 67% more expensive than Maldonado, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Maldonado is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$16.02 UYU 645

-0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$54.8 UYU 2,205

18.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.03 UYU 444

-4.71%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.15 UYU 167

-30.84%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.27 UYU 91.3

-1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.75 UYU 70.7

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.39 UYU 96.3

46.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.69 UYU 149

5.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.13 UYU 45.41

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.86 UYU 115

-38.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.55 UYU 62.3

13.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.63 UYU 186

-30.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$13.74 UYU 553

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.77 UYU 434

-26.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$10.97 UYU 442

44.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.19 UYU 88.2

5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.39 UYU 96.2

-28.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.57 UYU 63.4

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.54 UYU 142

-30.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.77 UYU 71.4

3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.93 UYU 77.6

3.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.20 UYU 48.24

60.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.61 UYU 64.9

-50.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$5.25 UYU 212

25.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$3.55 UYU 143

61.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.88 UYU 75.8

-27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.65 UYU 107

12.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.32 UYU 53.2

79.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$44.20 UYU 1,780

3.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.49 UYU 60.2

187.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.10 UYU 84.5

-60.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$11.22 UYU 452

63.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.81 UYU 73.0

13.81%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

-0.32%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

9.85%

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

$148 €127

$155 UYU 6,262

-4.89%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$16.93 UYU 682

21.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$43.30 UYU 1,744

-8.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$45.88 UYU 1,848

4.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$29.76 UYU 1,199

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$7.95 UYU 320

15.47%

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

$614 €529

$478 UYU 19.2K

28.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

122.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$85.1 UYU 3,427

23.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$46.83 UYU 1,886

-10.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$88.9 UYU 3,581

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$91.4 UYU 3,682

30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$366 UYU 14.7K

345.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$285 UYU 11.5K

340.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$890 UYU 35.8K

240.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$600 UYU 24.2K

236.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

411.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

228.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$886 UYU 35.7K

80.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.68

-32.92%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $366 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 81% 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 $55.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $297, with Lisbon 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Maldonado differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,325 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 81% 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 $366 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $478 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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 Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.