Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matera Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matera

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,493 in Matera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,276 in Matera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,060 in Matera.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 48% more expensive than Matera, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Matera 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$13.69 €11.79

16.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$69.2 €59.6

-6.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.42 €9.84

-7.97%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.10 €1.81

36.67%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.08 €1.79

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.07 €0.92

40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.61 €3.97

-24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.54 €3.91

-14.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.28 €1.11

-10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.73 €1.49

1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.92 €2.52

-39.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.76 €3.24

-14.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$14.64 €12.61

-7.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.15 €8.74

-22.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$16.51 €14.21

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.92 €2.51

-20.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.30 €1.98

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.13 €0.97

77.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.69 €3.18

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.93 €1.66

-4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.77 €1.53

12.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.49 €1.29

29.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.50 €0.43

58.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.63 €5.71

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.35 €7.19

-31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.67 €2.30

-48.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.44 €2.96

-13.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.76 €1.52

34.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$44.12 €37.99

3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.64 €4.86

-23.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.16 €1.86

-62.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$35.20 €30.31

-48.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.07 €1.79

-0.48%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$36.4K €31.4K

-5.94%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.9K €30.0K

12.71%

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

$148 €127

$171 €148

-13.74%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.03 €11.22

57.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$33.23 €28.61

19.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$54.2 €46.69

-11.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$23.44 €20.19

-19.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$11.45 €9.86

-19.83%

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

$614 €529

$386 €332

59.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,172 €5,315

160.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$94.3 €81.2

11.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$43.38 €37.35

-3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$101 €87.3

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$145 €125

-17.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$628 €541

159.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$436 €376

187.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$926 €797

227.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$662 €570

205.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$2,898 €2,496

169.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,382 €2,912

26.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,768 €1,522

-9.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.04

-5.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Matera: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $628 in Matera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matera pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $69.0 in Matera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $311 per month, with Lisbon 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 Matera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matera differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,493 including rent). Matera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Matera earns 10% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $628 in Matera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $386 in Matera. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,493 in Matera versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matera but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matera 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 Matera 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 Matera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.