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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,174 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,802 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,429 in Medias.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than in Medias, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Medias is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$12.36 RON 56.6

42.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$55.0 RON 252

14.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$7.95 RON 36.43

45.66%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.80 RON 17.40

-18.42%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.57 RON 11.77

-3.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.36 RON 10.80

-26.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.26 RON 14.92

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.61 RON 16.52

-4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.31 RON 5.99

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.52 RON 6.98

25.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.79 RON 8.20

-16.20%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.60 RON 16.50

10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$9.20 RON 42.14

44.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$7.38 RON 33.83

8.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$13.33 RON 61.1

35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.56 RON 7.15

50.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.58 RON 7.22

10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.67 RON 7.64

10.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.85 RON 13.04

-10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.81 RON 3.72

127.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.89 RON 4.08

135.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.94 RON 4.29

58.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.85 RON 3.91

-3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.59 RON 30.18

7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$7.68 RON 35.18

-23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.27 RON 5.82

3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.00 RON 9.14

6.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.75 RON 3.45

214.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$22.39 RON 103

108.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.67 RON 3.08

508.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.71 RON 3.24

60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$6.95 RON 31.83

145.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.43 RON 6.55

61.54%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.8K RON 136.3K

14.66%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$27.0K RON 123.7K

53.26%

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

$169 €147

$189 RON 865

-10.69%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$8.31 RON 38.05

132.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$9.69 RON 44.37

245.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$39.39 RON 180

23.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$21.47 RON 98.3

-9.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$6.77 RON 31.00

41.36%

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

$696 €606

$464 RON 2,126

49.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,274 RON 33.3K

138.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$53.6 RON 246

96.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$36.85 RON 169

29.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$78.0 RON 357

28.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$95.1 RON 436

30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$397 RON 1,817

319.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$295 RON 1,352

322.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$638 RON 2,921

364.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$471 RON 2,158

334.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,908 RON 8,741

310.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,377 RON 6,309

224.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.2

-47.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medias: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $397 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $55.0 in Medias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $236 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 96% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,174 including rent). Medias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,762 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $397 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $464 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Medias versus $2,296 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 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.