Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Melun Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Melun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,764 in Melun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,642 in Melun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,519 in Melun.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 27% more expensive than Melun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Melun 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$13.21 €11.27

19.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$55.4 €47.21

14.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$13.73 €11.71

-24.84%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.15 €2.68

-10.79%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.78 €1.51

30.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.10 €1.79

-28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$7.56 €6.45

-55.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.84 €4.98

-33.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.52 €1.30

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.74 €1.48

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$3.01 €2.57

-41.86%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$3.96 €3.38

-21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$22.15 €18.89

-40.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$13.00 €11.09

-39.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$24.18 €20.63

-33.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.71 €3.17

-35.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.18 €1.86

-21.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.40 €2.05

-17.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$3.28 €2.80

-22.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.91 €1.63

-6.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.11 €1.80

-6.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.59 €1.36

23.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.68 €0.58

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$13.46 €11.48

-49.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$9.02 €7.70

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.35 €2.01

-41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$4.48 €3.82

-34.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.32 €1.98

-1.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$49.15 €41.92

-4.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$4.70 €4.01

-12.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.90 €1.62

-57.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$31.85 €27.17

-40.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$36.9K €31.5K

-4.88%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$38.0K €32.4K

4.52%

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

$150 €128

$198 €168

-24.27%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$23.33 €19.90

-12.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$28.39 €24.21

37.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$36.63 €31.24

35.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$18.45 €15.74

0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$10.57 €9.02

-12.96%

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

$624 €533

$571 €487

9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$8,459 €7,216

88.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$90.9 €77.6

12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$36.15 €30.84

13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$86.7 €74.0

10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$104 €88.9

16.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$771 €658

114.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$597 €509

106.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$1,229 €1,049

147.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$910 €776

126.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$4,209 €3,590

87.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$3,022 €2,578

42.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$2,555 €2,179

-38.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.69

3.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Melun: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $771 in Melun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melun pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $55 in Melun. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $385, 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 Melun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Melun differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,764 including rent). Melun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Melun earns 63% less. 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $771 in Melun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $571 in Melun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,764 in Melun versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Melun but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Melun 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 Melun 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 Melun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.