Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Melito di Porto Salvo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Melito di Porto Salvo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,713 in Melito di Porto Salvo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,558 in Melito di Porto Salvo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,404 in Melito di Porto Salvo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 32% more expensive than in Melito di Porto Salvo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Melito di Porto Salvo 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$15.77 €13.60

11.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$57.9 €49.88

11.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.70 €10.09

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.10 €1.81

55.24%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.36 €2.04

5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.32 €1.13

26.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.65 €4.87

-38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.97 €3.42

-9.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.34 €1.16

-11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.92 €1.66

1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.88 €2.48

-45.83%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.00 €2.58

33.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$15.07 €12.99

-11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$12.51 €10.78

-32.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$17.67 €15.24

3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.07 €2.65

-24.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.29 €1.97

-24.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.96 €2.55

-34.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.21 €2.77

-17.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.70 €1.46

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.52 €1.31

38.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.91 €1.64

-24.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.45 €0.38

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.83 €5.89

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.62 €6.57

-22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.23 €1.92

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.12 €2.69

-31.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.72 €1.48

38.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$44.43 €38.30

4.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.42 €2.95

22.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.19 €1.03

-7.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$39.10 €33.70

-55.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.00 €1.73

12.50%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$37.8K €32.6K

-8.76%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$37.0K €31.9K

12.39%

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

$171 €147

$236 €203

-27.57%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$10.32 €8.90

84.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$27.63 €23.82

24.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$58.8 €50.7

-15.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$25.10 €21.64

-22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.36 €8.07

7.91%

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

$699 €603

$449 €387

55.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$10.3K €8,884

72.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$73.4 €63.3

42.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$32.50 €28.01

47.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$90.0 €77.6

13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$747 €644

122.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$591 €509

107.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,214 €1,046

140.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$938 €809

115.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,091 €2,664

163.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,149 €1,852

115.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$2,272 €1,959

-28.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.8

-0.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Melito di Porto Salvo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $747 in Melito di Porto Salvo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melito di Porto Salvo pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Melito di Porto Salvo. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $328, 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 Melito di Porto Salvo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Melito di Porto Salvo differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,713 including rent). Melito di Porto Salvo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Melito di Porto Salvo. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $747 in Melito di Porto Salvo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $449 in Melito di Porto Salvo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,713 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Melito di Porto Salvo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Melito di Porto Salvo 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 Melito di Porto Salvo 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 Melito di Porto Salvo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.