Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Merignac Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Merignac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,819 in Merignac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $2,812 in Merignac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $3,805 in Merignac.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 21% more expensive than in Merignac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Merignac 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$17.51 €15.40

-10.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$69.1 €60.7

-9.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$11.38 €10.00

-7.47%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$3.53 €3.11

-18.41%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$2.68 €2.36

-16.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.70 €1.50

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$8.04 €7.07

-57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$5.66 €4.98

-31.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.24 €1.09

-12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$2.19 €1.93

-21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$2.98 €2.62

-40.94%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$4.12 €3.62

-23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$15.52 €13.65

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$14.76 €12.97

-46.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$18.36 €16.14

-13.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$3.27 €2.87

-26.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$2.38 €2.09

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.26 €2.87

-37.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$3.60 €3.16

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.41 €2.12

-22.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.84 €2.50

-27.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.78 €1.56

12.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.67 €0.59

16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$13.36 €11.75

-50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$9.17 €8.06

-36.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$3.97 €3.49

-65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$3.05 €2.68

-0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$1.93 €1.70

20.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$48.29 €42.46

-5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$3.10 €2.72

31.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.06 €0.93

-24.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$39.99 €35.16

-53.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$2.08 €1.83

-3.85%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$36.8K €32.4K

-3.90%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$37.0K €32.5K

5.60%

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

$150 €132

$194 €171

-22.74%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$22.76 €20.01

-9.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$31.98 €28.12

23.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$37.94 €33.35

26.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$18.23 €16.03

2.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$13.71 €12.05

-32.17%

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

$628 €552

$856 €753

-26.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$9,489 €8,342

73.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$106 €93.5

-4.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$45.04 €39.59

-7.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$97.9 €86.1

-5.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$145 €127

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$764 €672

113.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$622 €547

98.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$1,393 €1,224

124.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$1,104 €970

86.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$3,945 €3,468

96.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$3,159 €2,777

38.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.71

2.70%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for Merignac: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $764 in Merignac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $69.0 in Merignac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $372 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 Merignac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Merignac differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,819 including rent). Merignac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,729 in Merignac to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $764 in Merignac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $856 in Merignac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,819 in Merignac versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merignac but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Merignac 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 Merignac 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 Merignac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.