Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Melissia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Melissia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,483 in Melissia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,284 in Melissia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,085 in Melissia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 55% more expensive than in Melissia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Melissia 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.24

$11.34 €9.82

55.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.5

$62.7 €54.3

0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.04

$9.01 €7.81

28.52%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.69

$4.15 €3.60

-25.30%

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

$2.49 €2.16

$2.40 €2.08

3.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$0.56 €0.49

210.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.02

$4.58 €3.97

-24.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.98

$5.30 €4.59

-35.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.95 €1.69

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.52 €1.31

25.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.90 €2.51

-48.28%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$5.13 €4.44

-22.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.52

$11.58 €10.03

14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$10.34 €8.96

-22.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.64

$19.35 €16.77

-6.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.24 €1.94

4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.01 €1.75

-12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.46 €1.27

26.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$2.03 €1.76

25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.17 €1.02

57.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.20 €1.04

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.88 €0.76

69.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.88 €0.76

-6.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.15

$5.76 €4.99

23.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.12

$10.44 €9.05

-43.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.17 €1.88

-39.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.79 €2.41

-23.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.40 €1.22

68.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.40

$45.43 €39.37

2.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.53

$4.67 €4.05

-12.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.06 €0.91

7.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.81

$14.70 €12.74

16.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.20 €1.91

5.00%

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

$34.1K €29.6K

$29.0K €25.2K

17.52%

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

$41.4K €35.9K

$24.2K €21.0K

70.74%

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

$169 €146

$221 €192

-23.88%

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

$19.33 €16.75

$25.25 €21.88

-23.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.04

$30.52 €26.45

9.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.32

$56.8 €49.19

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.84

$29.21 €25.31

-33.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.29

$9.36 €8.11

2.24%

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

$696 €603

$503 €436

38.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$4,608 €3,994

276.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.3

$92.7 €80.3

13.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.38

$37.21 €32.24

28.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.1

$105 €90.8

-4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$133 €115

-6.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,440

$538 €466

208.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,080

$409 €355

204.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,569

$748 €648

296.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,775

$622 €539

229.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,789

$2,707 €2,346

189.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,869

$2,334 €2,022

91.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,414

$1,377 €1,193

18.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.37

-13.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Melissia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $538 in Melissia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 18% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $63.0 in Melissia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $308 per month, with Lisbon 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 Melissia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Melissia differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,483 including rent). Melissia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $538 in Melissia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $503 in Melissia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,483 in Melissia versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Melissia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Melissia 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 Melissia 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 Melissia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.