Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medias Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medias

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,120 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,701 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,283 in Medias.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than Medias, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Medias is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$12.17 RON 55.1

30.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$51.2 RON 231

23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.85 RON 35.50

32.23%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.53 RON 15.99

-20.96%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.91 RON 8.66

22.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.02 RON 9.13

-22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.29 RON 14.88

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.38 RON 15.30

15.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.40 RON 6.32

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.31 RON 5.90

35.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.79 RON 8.08

-4.47%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.29 RON 14.90

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$8.82 RON 39.89

55.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.96 RON 31.49

15.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$12.02 RON 54.4

29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.18 RON 5.32

94.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.64 RON 7.42

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.62 RON 7.31

19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.49 RON 11.26

0.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.03 RON 4.65

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.08 RON 4.88

86.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.95 RON 4.30

107.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 RON 3.73

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.72 RON 25.85

18.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$8.88 RON 40.17

-36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.10 RON 4.96

26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.65 RON 7.48

83.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.72 RON 3.27

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.52 RON 88.3

132.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.76 RON 3.45

464.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.77 RON 3.48

10.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.94 RON 31.39

163.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.49 RON 6.73

33.56%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$28.5K RON 129.0K

22.88%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$28.1K RON 126.9K

40.93%

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

$146 €126

$167 RON 756

-12.48%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$8.30 RON 37.54

146.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$9.15 RON 41.39

326.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$40.75 RON 184

20.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$19.12 RON 86.5

-1.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.83 RON 30.89

39.39%

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

$608 €524

$453 RON 2,051

34.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,526 RON 29.5K

153.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$66.4 RON 300

56.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$42.48 RON 192

-0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$97.1 RON 439

-5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$99.2 RON 449

20.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$392 RON 1,774

313.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$296 RON 1,338

328.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$594 RON 2,687

413.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$438 RON 1,981

358.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,729 RON 7,819

343.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,270 RON 5,744

240.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.7

-50.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medias: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $392 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Medias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $225 per month, with Medias 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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Medias differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,120 including rent). Medias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $1,679 in Medias to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $392 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $453 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,120 in Medias versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Medias 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 Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.