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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $477 in Medea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $817 in Medea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,156 in Medea.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 376% more expensive than in Medea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Medea is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.05 DZD 271

756.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$28.86 DZD 3,827

123.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.14 DZD 549

181.40%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$0.37 DZD 49.73

781.08%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.46 DZD 60.4

441.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.22 DZD 29.22

659.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.26 DZD 300

53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.35 DZD 312

52.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.94 DZD 124

25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.08 DZD 10.43

2337.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.14 DZD 151

36.84%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.35 DZD 178

197.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.35 DZD 1,107

58.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.22 DZD 560

99.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$15.06 DZD 1,998

21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.17 DZD 288

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.85 DZD 377

-39.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.16 DZD 154

66.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.59 DZD 78.2

347.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.65 DZD 86.3

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.47 DZD 62.8

348.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.85 DZD 113

69.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.28 DZD 37.42

185.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.23 DZD 296

214.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.14 DZD 947

-17.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.34 DZD 177

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.01 DZD 266

6.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.17 DZD 23.18

1300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$6.47 DZD 858

614.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.56 DZD 74.1

648.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.45 DZD 59.4

144.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.75 DZD 763

200.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.38 DZD 49.93

492.11%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$19.9K DZD 2.6M

73.36%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$35.9K DZD 4.8M

16.01%

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

$171 €147

$18.83 DZD 2,497

807.49%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$7.91 DZD 1,049

140.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$12.88 DZD 1,708

166.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$21.53 DZD 2,856

130.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$2.03 DZD 269

861.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.41 DZD 452

196.19%

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

$699 €603

$40.15 DZD 5,325

1641.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,725 DZD 891.8K

164.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$19.76 DZD 2,620

429.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$32.70 DZD 4,336

46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$32.78 DZD 4,347

210.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$57.4 DZD 7,615

123.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$158 DZD 20.9K

954.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$110 DZD 14.6K

1017.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$279 DZD 37.0K

944.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$214 DZD 28.3K

847.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,300 DZD 172.4K

525.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$401 DZD 53.2K

1055.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$324 DZD 43.0K

399.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-24.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Medea: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $158 in Medea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 400% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Medea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $182 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 376% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $477 including rent). Medea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 400% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $158 in Medea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $40.15 in Medea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $477 in Medea versus $2,268 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 376% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.