Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medea Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $512 in Medea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $835 in Medea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,159 in Medea.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 347% more expensive than in Medea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Medea is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$1.98 DZD 262

717.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$23.93 DZD 3,171

164.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$3.98 DZD 527

159.30%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$0.34 DZD 45.68

732.35%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.42 DZD 55.6

445.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.21 DZD 28.22

652.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.99 DZD 263

70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.35 DZD 312

71.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.99 DZD 131

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.09 DZD 11.28

1844.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.14 DZD 152

54.39%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.53 DZD 202

107.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.77 DZD 1,162

50.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.95 DZD 656

61.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$16.59 DZD 2,199

-6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.21 DZD 425

-26.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.76 DZD 365

-38.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.72 DZD 227

16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.57 DZD 76.0

326.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.65 DZD 85.9

170.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.47 DZD 61.8

331.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.73 DZD 96.6

163.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.30 DZD 39.95

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.13 DZD 282

208.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.89 DZD 913

-19.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.35 DZD 179

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.18 DZD 289

36.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.25 DZD 33.16

812.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$17.57 DZD 2,328

160.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.69 DZD 91.5

513.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.33 DZD 44.30

145.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.44 DZD 720

238.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.36 DZD 47.83

477.78%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$20.3K DZD 2.7M

70.67%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$34.0K DZD 4.5M

15.04%

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

$148 €130

$19.17 DZD 2,541

672.30%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.20 DZD 1,086

149.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$18.03 DZD 2,389

119.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$23.78 DZD 3,151

101.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$2.03 DZD 269

816.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.57 DZD 474

158.26%

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

$616 €540

$39.49 DZD 5,233

1460.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,547 DZD 470.0K

363.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$19.79 DZD 2,622

418.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$32.63 DZD 4,324

27.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$32.28 DZD 4,278

193.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$55.8 DZD 7,393

118.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$192 DZD 25.4K

751.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$114 DZD 15.1K

979.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$279 DZD 36.9K

1012.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$181 DZD 23.9K

1025.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,146 DZD 151.9K

583.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,116 DZD 147.8K

293.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$322 DZD 42.7K

398.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-23.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medea: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $192 in Medea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 399% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Medea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $199 per month, with Medea 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 Medea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Medea differ by about 347% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $512 including rent). Medea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 399% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $192 in Medea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $39.49 in Medea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $512 in Medea versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medea but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Medea 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 Medea 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 Medea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 347% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.