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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,597 in Melissia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,349 in Melissia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,102 in Melissia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 43% more expensive than in Melissia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Melissia 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$13.22 €11.57

22.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$58.2 €50.9

8.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.23 €8.08

11.81%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.22 €3.69

-32.94%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.70 €1.49

34.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.56 €0.49

182.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.96 €5.22

-42.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$5.83 €5.10

-30.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.86 €1.63

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.46 €1.28

19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.90 €2.54

-39.31%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.99 €4.37

-36.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$14.04 €12.28

-6.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$10.32 €9.03

-22.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$15.39 €13.47

0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.23 €1.95

6.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.92 €1.68

-10.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.09 €0.95

84.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.95 €1.71

24.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.36 €1.19

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.17 €1.02

73.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.05 €0.92

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.04 €0.91

-18.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.60 €4.90

17.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.32 €9.03

-45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.10 €1.83

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.46 €2.15

20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.55 €1.35

47.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$46.36 €40.56

-1.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.61 €4.04

-8.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$13.56 €11.87

35.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.18 €1.91

-4.59%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$28.7K €25.1K

20.84%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.2K €25.5K

34.25%

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

$148 €130

$293 €256

-49.44%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$23.67 €20.71

-13.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$30.76 €26.91

28.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$48.49 €42.43

-1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$26.41 €23.11

-29.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.74 €8.52

-5.34%

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

$616 €539

$509 €445

21.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,455 €4,773

201.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$115 €100

-10.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$38.92 €34.05

7.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$102 €89.0

-6.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$120 €105

1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$498 €436

227.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$384 €336

220.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$759 €664

308.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$618 €540

228.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,851 €2,494

174.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,344 €2,051

87.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,366 €1,195

17.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.99

-23.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Melissia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $498 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 $58.0 in Melissia. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $301, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 43% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,597 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $498 in Melissia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $509 in Melissia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,597 in Melissia versus $2,291 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 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.