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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,128 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,718 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,307 in Medias.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Medias is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$12.38 RON 56.3

27.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$50.3 RON 228

26.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.13 RON 36.97

28.54%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.40 RON 15.46

-14.41%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.90 RON 8.66

20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.07 RON 9.40

-27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$3.20 RON 14.54

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.36 RON 15.27

17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.35 RON 6.13

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.34 RON 6.10

31.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.78 RON 8.11

-4.49%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.35 RON 15.25

-2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.43 RON 38.31

57.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.82 RON 30.99

12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$11.98 RON 54.5

31.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.19 RON 5.39

91.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.65 RON 7.51

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.61 RON 7.30

25.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.43 RON 11.06

1.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.00 RON 4.53

79.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.03 RON 4.70

100.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.87 RON 3.94

126.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.80 RON 3.63

3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.97 RON 27.13

9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.76 RON 35.29

-28.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.14 RON 5.18

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.65 RON 7.50

82.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.72 RON 3.29

215.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$19.59 RON 89.1

136.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.71 RON 3.22

495.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.81 RON 3.68

4.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$7.03 RON 31.97

167.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.52 RON 6.90

32.89%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$28.2K RON 128.1K

24.12%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$27.5K RON 125.0K

44.18%

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

$148 €128

$162 RON 734

-8.41%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$8.03 RON 36.49

155.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$8.94 RON 40.63

342.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$41.32 RON 188

16.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$19.14 RON 87.0

-3.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$7.01 RON 31.88

29.81%

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

$615 €532

$452 RON 2,055

35.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,675 RON 30.3K

143.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$68.0 RON 309

49.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$43.75 RON 199

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$95.5 RON 434

-3.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$100 RON 456

21.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$389 RON 1,771

313.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$286 RON 1,302

337.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$584 RON 2,654

425.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$444 RON 2,017

359.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,806 RON 8,210

329.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,280 RON 5,821

234.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medias: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $389 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Medias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $220 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 ($2,280 vs $1,128 including rent). Medias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,692 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $389 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $452 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,128 in Medias versus $2,280 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.