Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Marsaxlokk

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsaxlokk: $2,023 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Marsaxlokk, Malta
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Marsaxlokk
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,023
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Marsaxlokk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Marsaxlokk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,023 in Marsaxlokk.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Marsaxlokk $2,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,964 in Marsaxlokk.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Marsaxlokk $2,964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,905 in Marsaxlokk.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Marsaxlokk $3,905

Living in Lisbon is roughly 9% more expensive than in Marsaxlokk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Marsaxlokk 49% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$19.75 €17.74
-15.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$87.0 €78.1
-29.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$13.39 €12.02
-15.16%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.63 €2.37
12.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$3.01 €2.70
-23.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.25 €2.02
-22.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$4.63 €4.16
-26.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.02 €4.51
-34.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.39 €1.25
-16.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.35 €1.21
41.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$4.36 €3.92
-65.37%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$4.33 €3.89
-7.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$8.19 €7.36
58.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$10.32 €9.27
-24.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$17.95 €16.13
-1.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$4.12 €3.70
-44.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.72 €2.45
-36.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$3.70 €3.32
-49.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$3.46 €3.11
-25.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.31 €2.08
-21.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.90 €1.71
3.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.39 €2.14
-38.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.33 €1.20
-45.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$6.70 €6.02
-1.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$7.94 €7.13
-29.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.62 €1.46
-16.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.42 €2.17
-11.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$2.55 €2.29
-8.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$5.48 €4.92
-29.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.29 €2.05
-53.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$27.24 €24.47
-39.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.46 €1.31
50.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$37.9K €34.1K
-9.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$39.0K €35.0K
-0.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$102 €91.8
57.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$25.33 €22.76
-27.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$43.14 €38.75
-24.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$55.5 €49.83
-19.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$9.99 €8.98
-3.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$364 €327
83.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$11.1K €9,962
58.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$88.4 €79.4
15.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$39.86 €35.81
11.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$101 €91.0
-2.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$77.0 €69.1
60.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,097 €985
46.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,001 €899
18.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$1,974 €1,773
42.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$1,417 €1,272
42.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$4,350 €3,908
80.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$3,312 €2,975
38.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Marsaxlokk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
2.9
32.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Marsaxlokk: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Marsaxlokk
$1K 15.9% $189
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Marsaxlokk
$326 19.8% $54
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Marsaxlokk
$284 17.1% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Marsaxlokk
$171 19.6% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Marsaxlokk
$138 16.9% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Marsaxlokk
$75 18.4% $12
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Marsaxlokk
$27 * 57.1% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,097 in Marsaxlokk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $87 in Marsaxlokk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $326 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇹 Marsaxlokk
🕒 Local time
22:55 10:55 PM
23:55 11:55 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
3,500
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Marsaxlokk 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Marsaxlokk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Marsaxlokk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Marsaxlokk?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,023 in Marsaxlokk, so Marsaxlokk is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Marsaxlokk?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $3,034 in Marsaxlokk to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Marsaxlokk?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,097 in Marsaxlokk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Marsaxlokk?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,023 in Marsaxlokk – Marsaxlokk is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Marsaxlokk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Marsaxlokk?
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.
Is Lisbon or Marsaxlokk safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Marsaxlokk are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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