Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matosinhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matosinhos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,837 in Matosinhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,670 in Matosinhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,503 in Matosinhos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than Matosinhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Matosinhos 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$11.78 €10.14

35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$46.85 €40.30

38.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.11 €7.83

15.37%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.31 €1.99

24.24%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.97 €1.69

13.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.42 €1.22

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.85 €2.45

22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.40 €2.93

14.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.07 €0.92

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.76 €1.51

-0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.63 €1.40

7.98%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.03 €2.61

6.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.45 €9.85

17.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.06 €6.08

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.13 €12.16

12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.13 €1.83

8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.47 €1.26

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.82 €1.57

10.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.47 €2.13

-0.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.32 €1.13

39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.81 €1.56

10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.49 €1.28

29.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.83 €0.72

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.21 €5.34

6.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.67 €4.87

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.14 €0.98

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.27 €1.96

30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.81 €1.56

30.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$35.25 €30.32

29.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.12 €3.54

4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.79 €0.68

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$14.49 €12.46

26.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.96 €1.69

5.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.4K €29.6K

-0.23%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

0.04%

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

$148 €127

$137 €118

8.04%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$21.23 €18.26

-3.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$42.22 €36.32

-6.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$46.85 €40.30

2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$8.54 €7.35

7.49%

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

$614 €528

$353 €303

74.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,368 €7,198

91.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$74.8 €64.4

39.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$33.85 €29.12

24.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$91.4 €78.6

2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$110 €95.0

8.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,157 €995

40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$938 €807

33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,926 €1,656

57.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,625 €1,398

24.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$4,543 €3,908

71.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$4,003 €3,443

6.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,247 €1,073

28.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.29

-27.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Matosinhos: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,157 in Matosinhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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 $47.00 in Matosinhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $243 per month, with Matosinhos 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 Matosinhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matosinhos differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,837 including rent). Matosinhos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 29% 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 $1,157 in Matosinhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $353 in Matosinhos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Matosinhos versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Matosinhos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matosinhos 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 Matosinhos 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 Matosinhos 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.