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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $922 in Margate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,426 in Margate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,929 in Margate.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 145% more expensive than Margate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Margate is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.80 R 110

134.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$28.47 R 460

122.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$3.48 R 56.2

198.28%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.16 R 18.83

140.52%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.68 R 10.96

244.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.40 R 6.53

292.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.99 R 32.19

72.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$1.43 R 23.11

173.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.86 R 13.85

25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.78 R 12.64

126.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.19 R 19.32

43.70%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.17 R 35.01

45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$4.83 R 78.1

183.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$2.49 R 40.23

221.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$3.45 R 55.8

349.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.42 R 23.02

61.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.43 R 23.12

14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.23 R 19.95

57.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.35 R 21.78

85.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.93 R 15.06

92.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.23 R 19.90

63.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.98 R 15.87

101.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.91 R 14.65

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$1.52 R 24.60

346.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$3.50 R 56.6

62.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.87 R 14.05

59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.42 R 22.99

112.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.06 R 17.19

114.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.76 R 12.29

464.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.63 R 10.14

34.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$4.53 R 73.2

303.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.27 R 20.48

56.69%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$20.5K R 331.3K

70.96%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$24.5K R 396.8K

61.12%

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

$146 €126

$146 R 2,367

-0.14%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$28.81 R 466

-29.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$33.61 R 543

15.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$31.47 R 509

55.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$3.30 R 53.4

470.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$3.74 R 60.4

154.55%

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

$608 €524

$204 R 3,297

198.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,621 R 74.7K

257.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$41.32 R 668

151.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$30.21 R 488

39.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$95.9 R 1,551

-3.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$73.7 R 1,191

62.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$360 R 5,814

350.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$335 R 5,413

278.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$693 R 11.2K

339.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$678 R 11.0K

196.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$900 R 14.6K

751.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$695 R 11.2K

523.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,507 R 24.4K

5.14%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Margate: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $360 in Margate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 5% 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 $28.00 in Margate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 145% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $922 including rent). Margate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 5% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $360 in Margate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $922 in Margate – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $922 in Margate versus $2,263 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 145% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.