Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Male Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Male

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,500 in Male.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,446 in Male.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,393 in Male.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 54% more expensive than in Male, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Male 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$6.16 MVR 95.0

180.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$38.53 MVR 594

64.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.94 MVR 153

14.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.55 MVR 54.8

-10.14%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.59 MVR 24.57

54.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.31 MVR 4.84

467.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.09 MVR 32.20

-40.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.67 MVR 25.81

18.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.26 MVR 19.35

20.63%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.87 MVR 28.82

116.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$10.44 MVR 161

29.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.24 MVR 96.3

34.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$9.46 MVR 146

92.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.92 MVR 60.4

-41.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$3.13 MVR 48.29

-44.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$4.09 MVR 63.1

-54.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.66 MVR 40.96

-1.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.03 MVR 31.32

-5.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.86 MVR 28.66

12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.14 MVR 32.98

-32.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.62 MVR 9.63

35.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$14.85 MVR 229

-54.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.66 MVR 10.22

263.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$30.42 MVR 469

53.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.93 MVR 29.69

116.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.99 MVR 30.69

-42.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$9.97 MVR 154

77.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.97 MVR 14.89

139.18%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

11.39%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

43.74%

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

$170 €146

$120 MVR 1,843

42.54%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$30.58 MVR 472

-36.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$71.4 MVR 1,101

-52.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$70.1 MVR 1,082

-31.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$33.42 MVR 515

-40.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$9.55 MVR 147

3.87%

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

$717 €617

$187 MVR 2,882

283.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

490.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$39.33 MVR 606

166.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$48.68 MVR 751

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$88.0 MVR 1,356

17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$51.6 MVR 796

140.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$952 MVR 14.7K

76.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$696 MVR 10.7K

82.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

44.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

28.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

245.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

238.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$813 MVR 12.5K

94.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

-72.93%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Male: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $952 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 95% 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 $39.00 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $235 per month, with Male 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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Male differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,500 including rent). Male is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $952 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $187 in Male. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,500 in Male versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Male 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 Male 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.