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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $917 in Margate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,412 in Margate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,907 in Margate.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 143% more expensive than Margate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Margate is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.05 R 118

129.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$28.46 R 477

126.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$3.40 R 57.0

205.29%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.23 R 20.55

125.20%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.67 R 11.27

235.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.37 R 6.25

324.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.01 R 33.69

73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$1.36 R 22.86

194.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.81 R 13.59

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.80 R 13.42

117.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.20 R 20.21

45.00%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.20 R 36.92

44.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$4.86 R 81.6

176.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$2.47 R 41.49

223.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$3.50 R 58.8

359.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.37 R 22.92

66.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.40 R 23.55

22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.23 R 20.62

57.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.29 R 21.68

96.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.99 R 16.62

84.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.19 R 19.95

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.97 R 16.33

104.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.95 R 15.97

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$1.44 R 24.23

375.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$3.60 R 60.3

60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.93 R 15.59

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.37 R 22.97

111.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.07 R 17.89

113.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.71 R 11.94

474.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.58 R 9.64

41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$4.39 R 73.6

316.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.34 R 22.40

50.00%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$20.1K R 336.6K

75.71%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$24.5K R 411.3K

56.91%

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

$145 €124

$146 R 2,452

-0.57%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$29.77 R 499

-29.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$33.93 R 569

18.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$31.19 R 523

56.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$3.44 R 57.7

443.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$3.68 R 61.8

146.20%

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

$607 €519

$206 R 3,453

194.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,675 R 78.4K

249.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$41.44 R 695

152.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$30.51 R 512

34.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$95.6 R 1,603

-2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$71.6 R 1,201

65.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$369 R 6,182

335.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$335 R 5,625

268.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$694 R 11.6K

338.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$684 R 11.5K

200.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$534 R 8,962

1342.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$555 R 9,310

668.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,517 R 25.4K

4.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.01

-68.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Margate: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $369 in Margate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 4% 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 $28.00 in Margate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $129 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 143% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $917 including rent). Margate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 4% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $369 in Margate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $917 in Margate – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $917 in Margate versus $2,227 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 143% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.