Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matola Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,024 in Matola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,519 in Matola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,014 in Matola.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than Matola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Matola is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$7.67 MZN 485

107.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$48.94 MZN 3,095

32.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.60 MZN 481

38.29%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.60 MZN 101

79.38%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.75 MZN 47.55

198.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.58 MZN 36.58

158.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.19 MZN 75.2

193.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.60 MZN 101

142.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.57 MZN 99.1

-27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.04 MZN 65.8

68.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.69 MZN 107

4.14%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.92 MZN 122

67.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$13.03 MZN 824

3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.28 MZN 334

49.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$4.65 MZN 294

241.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.97 MZN 124

17.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.63 MZN 39.82

169.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.34 MZN 84.6

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.99 MZN 62.6

148.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.93 MZN 59.1

97.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.67 MZN 42.60

198.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.99 MZN 62.4

94.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.53 MZN 33.63

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.61 MZN 165

153.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.14 MZN 451

-19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.98 MZN 61.8

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.29 MZN 81.4

130.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.60 MZN 101

168.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.89 MZN 183

-71.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$24.44 MZN 1,545

-25.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.31 MZN 83.1

57.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$35.8K MZN 2.3M

-4.23%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.7K MZN 1.2M

99.40%

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

$148 €127

$38.50 MZN 2,435

284.08%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$14.16 MZN 895

44.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$79.6 MZN 5,031

-50.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$39.34 MZN 2,488

21.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.67 MZN 485

19.69%

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

$614 €528

$185 MZN 11.7K

232.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,823 MZN 368.2K

175.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$49.19 MZN 3,111

112.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$62.7 MZN 3,966

-32.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$82.7 MZN 5,227

13.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$80.4 MZN 5,085

48.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$475 MZN 30.1K

242.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$396 MZN 25.0K

217.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$794 MZN 50.2K

281.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$579 MZN 36.6K

248.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$310 MZN 19.6K

418.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

24.33

-84.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Matola: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $475 in Matola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 418% 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 $49.00 in Matola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $180 per month, with Matola 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 Matola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matola differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,024 including rent). Matola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 418% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $475 in Matola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,024 in Matola – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Matola versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matola but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matola 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 Matola 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 Matola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.