Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Margate Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Margate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $903 in Margate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,444 in Margate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $1,984 in Margate.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 157% more expensive than in Margate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Margate is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$7.59 R 122

125.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$37.72 R 608

69.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$5.51 R 88.7

112.52%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$1.91 R 30.70

64.40%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.12 R 17.98

124.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.85 R 13.74

95.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.53 R 40.79

38.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.26 R 36.38

49.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.01 R 16.23

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.94 R 15.18

114.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.14 R 18.29

38.60%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.52 R 40.51

60.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$5.15 R 83.0

148.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$3.54 R 57.0

126.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$5.98 R 96.3

184.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.23 R 19.79

93.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.22 R 19.66

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.14 R 18.29

74.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.47 R 23.71

81.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.10 R 17.72

72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.29 R 20.80

52.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.16 R 18.66

23.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.01 R 16.26

-9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$1.71 R 27.62

298.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$3.68 R 59.2

55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.50 R 24.09

-11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.97 R 31.73

8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$1.56 R 25.17

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$0.42 R 6.76

911.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.77 R 12.39

44.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$7.71 R 124

133.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.39 R 22.39

58.27%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$36.8K R 592.8K

-4.35%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$32.0K R 515.3K

25.16%

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

$171 €146

$61.0 R 982

180.68%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$18.86 R 304

3.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$33.74 R 544

-1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$33.19 R 535

44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$4.43 R 71.4

128.44%

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

$700 €599

$333 R 5,368

110.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$7,511 R 121.0K

131.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$54.4 R 876

100.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$18.76 R 302

155.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$74.7 R 1,204

42.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$49.88 R 803

152.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$409 R 6,585

317.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$372 R 5,990

240.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$768 R 12.4K

287.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$749 R 12.1K

166.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$882 R 14.2K

808.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$643 R 10.4K

603.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$1,541 R 24.8K

7.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

11.66

-68.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Margate: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $409 in Margate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 8% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Margate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $152 per month, with Margate 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 Margate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Margate differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $903 including rent). Margate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $409 in Margate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lisbon versus $903 in Margate – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $903 in Margate versus $2,322 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Margate but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Margate 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 Margate 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 Margate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.