Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mersa Matruh Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mersa Matruh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $476 in Mersa Matruh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $752 in Mersa Matruh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,028 in Mersa Matruh.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 376% more expensive than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Mersa Matruh is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$3.64 E£189

337.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €55.0

$15.86 E£825

299.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.01

$4.72 E£245

119.92%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$1.51 E£78.5

84.77%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$0.29 E£15.04

706.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.12 E£6.21

1208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$1.22 E£63.6

181.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$3.05 E£158

28.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.87 E£45.21

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.72 E£37.60

145.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$0.71 E£36.67

140.85%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$1.46 E£75.8

115.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$3.95 E£206

246.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.95

$4.46 E£232

79.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.46

$9.72 E£505

59.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.42 E£73.6

61.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$0.54 E£28.03

203.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$0.43 E£22.31

351.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$0.37 E£19.14

578.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.38 E£19.65

371.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.40 E£20.88

402.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.24 E£12.55

720.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.18 E£9.40

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.89

$2.02 E£105

236.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$5.73 E£298

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.34 E£69.9

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.62

$2.67 E£139

13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.17 E£9.06

1235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.40

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.53 E£27.54

709.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.43 E£22.13

97.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.85

$2.00 E£104

814.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.33 E£17.23

503.03%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-1.07%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$33.4K E£1.7M

18.24%

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

$146 €127

$11.36 E£591

1186.80%

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

$20.45 €17.73

$5.80 E£301

252.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.80

$9.94 E£517

292.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.48

$22.08 E£1,148

121.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.33

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.26

$2.93 E£152

224.91%

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

$608 €527

$88.8 E£4,619

584.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$1,820 E£94.6K

807.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.1

$27.94 E£1,453

271.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.53

$49.40 E£2,569

-14.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €80.0

$107 E£5,586

-14.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$50.1 E£2,603

139.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,406

$192 E£9,982

744.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$98.0 E£5,093

1194.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,643

$312 E£16.2K

876.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,742

$178 E£9,236

1030.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,645

$706 E£36.7K

985.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,754

$356 E£18.5K

1116.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$95.8 E£4,980

1554.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-77.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $192 in Mersa Matruh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1555% 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 $16.00 in Mersa Matruh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $130 per month, with Mersa Matruh 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 Mersa Matruh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mersa Matruh differ by about 376% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $476 including rent). Mersa Matruh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 1555% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $192 in Mersa Matruh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $476 in Mersa Matruh – a 376% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $476 in Mersa Matruh versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mersa Matruh but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mersa Matruh 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 Mersa Matruh 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 Mersa Matruh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 376% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.