Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mallow Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mallow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,485 in Mallow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,478 in Mallow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,472 in Mallow.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 11% less than in Mallow, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Mallow 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$17.96 €15.45

-11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$82.2 €70.7

-21.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.45 €8.99

0.57%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.81 €3.28

-24.67%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.53 €2.17

-11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.20 €1.89

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$6.31 €5.43

-44.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.96 €4.27

-21.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.34 €1.15

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.31 €1.13

33.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.54 €1.33

14.29%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.93 €2.52

9.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.44 €9.84

17.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$11.54 €9.93

-31.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$12.17 €10.47

30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.72 €2.34

-15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.46 €1.26

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.50 €2.15

-19.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.71 €2.33

-9.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.83 €0.72

121.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.70 €0.60

185.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.20 €1.89

-12.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$22.61 €19.45

-70.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$13.99 €12.04

-59.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$4.20 €3.61

-67.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.14 €0.98

160.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.40 €2.07

-1.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$99.9 €85.9

-54.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.88 €5.06

-27.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.14 €1.84

-61.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$28.62 €24.62

-36.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.08 €1.79

-0.96%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$57.6K €49.5K

-40.46%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$45.9K €39.5K

-14.47%

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

$148 €127

$234 €202

-36.94%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$14.98 €12.88

36.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$45.49 €39.13

-12.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$52.9 €45.50

-9.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$11.51 €9.90

-20.24%

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

$614 €528

$1,043 €897

-41.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,625 €6,559

110.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$90.4 €77.8

15.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$41.77 €35.93

0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$86.5 €74.4

8.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$79.5 €68.4

50.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,364 €1,173

19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,296 €1,115

-3.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,065 €1,776

46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,864 €1,604

8.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,091 €3,519

90.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$3,177 €2,733

34.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$3,311 €2,848

-51.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.8

-20.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mallow: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,364 in Mallow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mallow pays 107% 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 $82.0 in Mallow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $292 per month, with Lisbon 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 Mallow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mallow differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,485 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mallow earns 107% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,364 in Mallow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $1,043 in Mallow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Mallow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,485 in Mallow, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Mallow. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Mallow 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Mallow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.