Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mataro Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mataro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,852 in Mataro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,723 in Mataro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $3,595 in Mataro.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than Mataro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Mataro 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$17.12 €14.74

-7.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$58.6 €50.5

6.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$10.30 €8.87

2.33%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.09 €1.80

32.54%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$2.70 €2.33

-15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.03 €1.74

-23.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$4.55 €3.92

-21.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.49 €3.01

14.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.22 €1.05

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.06 €1.77

-14.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.28 €1.10

38.28%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$3.43 €2.95

-9.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$17.64 €15.19

-24.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$9.79 €8.43

-18.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$14.11 €12.15

12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.56 €2.20

-10.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.08 €1.79

-21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.54 €2.19

-22.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.83 €2.44

-13.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.00 €1.73

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.33 €2.01

-15.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.53 €1.32

28.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.77 €0.66

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$6.56 €5.65

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$5.82 €5.02

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.18 €1.01

11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.32 €2.00

28.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.28 €1.96

2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$25.58 €22.02

79.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$2.41 €2.08

76.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.52 €1.31

-44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$29.33 €25.25

-35.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.90 €1.64

8.95%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$37.9K €32.6K

-6.96%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$30.6K €26.3K

26.37%

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

$151 €130

$185 €160

-18.48%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$20.80 €17.91

0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$36.80 €31.69

7.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$63.8 €54.9

-24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$14.79 €12.73

25.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$11.05 €9.51

-18.19%

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

$610 €525

$516 €444

18.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,299 €7,146

96.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$74.0 €63.7

36.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$37.95 €32.68

6.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$88.3 €76.0

5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$112 €96.5

5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$905 €780

76.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$800 €689

54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$1,392 €1,199

116.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$1,236 €1,065

66.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$3,296 €2,838

142.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$2,226 €1,916

103.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,917 €1,651

-15.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.39

12.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Mataro: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $905 in Mataro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mataro pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $59.0 in Mataro. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $294, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mataro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mataro differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,852 including rent). Mataro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mataro earns 18% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $905 in Mataro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $516 in Mataro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,852 in Mataro versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mataro but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mataro 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 Mataro 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 Mataro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.