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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $517 in Medea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $845 in Medea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,172 in Medea.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 327% more expensive than Medea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Medea is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.06 DZD 273

672.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$24.14 DZD 3,202

168.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$3.98 DZD 529

164.07%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$0.37 DZD 49.11

675.68%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.42 DZD 56.0

433.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.17 DZD 23.07

782.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.96 DZD 260

78.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.30 DZD 305

68.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.03 DZD 137

10.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.07 DZD 9.19

2400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.18 DZD 157

49.15%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.49 DZD 198

116.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.73 DZD 1,158

54.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.90 DZD 650

61.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$16.81 DZD 2,229

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.11 DZD 412

-25.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.75 DZD 365

-38.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.77 DZD 235

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.58 DZD 76.9

324.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.63 DZD 84.1

192.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.49 DZD 65.4

308.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.67 DZD 88.5

188.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.28 DZD 36.80

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.21 DZD 293

199.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.89 DZD 914

-16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.30 DZD 173

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.16 DZD 287

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.23 DZD 30.36

930.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$17.64 DZD 2,340

158.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.65 DZD 86.7

560.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.34 DZD 45.03

141.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.46 DZD 724

235.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.36 DZD 48.08

472.22%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.8K DZD 2.6M

73.22%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.1K DZD 4.5M

15.30%

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

$148 €127

$18.98 DZD 2,517

679.08%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$7.82 DZD 1,037

162.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$18.09 DZD 2,399

118.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$23.35 DZD 3,096

104.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$2.04 DZD 271

827.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.53 DZD 468

160.06%

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

$614 €528

$39.77 DZD 5,274

1443.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,636 DZD 482.2K

341.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$19.93 DZD 2,644

425.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$32.60 DZD 4,324

29.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$32.23 DZD 4,275

191.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$55.1 DZD 7,304

117.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$198 DZD 26.2K

724.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$117 DZD 15.5K

972.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$276 DZD 36.6K

996.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$180 DZD 23.9K

1021.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,115 DZD 147.9K

599.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,138 DZD 150.9K

275.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$325 DZD 43.1K

393.57%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medea: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $198 in Medea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 394% 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 $24.00 in Medea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $198 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 327% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $517 including rent). Medea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 394% 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 $198 in Medea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $39.77 in Medea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $517 in Medea versus $2,210 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 327% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.