Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

Lisbon $2,202
Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

Lisbon $3,274
Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

Lisbon $4,346
Melbourne $5,697

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 23% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Melbourne 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$17.20 A$24.75

-0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$83.1 A$120

-25.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$12.43 A$17.88

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$4.05 A$5.82

-22.96%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$3.12 A$4.50

-27.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.46 A$3.54

-29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$9.52 A$13.71

-64.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$8.16 A$11.74

-54.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.56 A$2.25

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.90 A$4.18

-35.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.66 A$3.82

-42.11%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$5.37 A$7.72

-24.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$10.67 A$15.36

20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$9.85 A$14.17

-19.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$15.36 A$22.11

14.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.17 A$6.00

-45.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$3.15 A$4.53

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.26 A$4.69

-42.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$4.76 A$6.85

-46.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.06 A$4.41

-39.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.47 A$3.55

-20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.45 A$3.52

-40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.63 A$2.34

-52.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$45.17 A$65.0

-85.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$12.68 A$18.25

-55.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$5.69 A$8.18

-75.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$5.23 A$7.53

-59.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.87 A$5.57

-40.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$142 A$204

-68.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$4.54 A$6.53

-13.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.42 A$2.04

-26.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$30.59 A$44.01

-43.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.47 A$2.11

48.98%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$28.9K A$41.5K

17.05%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$25.9K A$37.3K

47.65%

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

$164 €146

$235 A$338

-30.33%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$27.45 A$39.51

-32.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$56.1 A$80.8

-41.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$50.1 A$72.1

-8.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$21.49 A$30.93

-13.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$17.76 A$25.56

-45.10%

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

$684 €608

$2,385 A$3,432

-71.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$29.7K A$42.7K

-40.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$79.2 A$114

31.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$49.49 A$71.2

-6.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$118 A$170

-15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$132 A$190

-5.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,763 A$2,537

-9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,411 A$2,031

-17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$3,522 A$5,069

-19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$2,525 A$3,634

-21.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$7,136 A$10.3K

9.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$6,355 A$9,144

-30.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$4,258 A$6,128

-62.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.9

-34.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 20.7% $242

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 42.3% $115

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 25.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 48.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Melbourne

$171 6% 1.3% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Melbourne

$86 3% 31% $20

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 169% $106

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 166% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $83.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $388 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

16:23 4:23 PM

10 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Melbourne 17,760 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
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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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Melbourne differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,853 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 166% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $2,385 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Melbourne 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.