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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $465 in Mersa Matruh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $755 in Mersa Matruh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $1,045 in Mersa Matruh.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 375% more expensive than in Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$3.64 E£187

331.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$15.51 E£796

305.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$4.54 E£233

131.94%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$1.43 E£73.4

101.40%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.31 E£16.14

625.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.12 E£5.92

1200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$1.21 E£62.0

180.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$3.01 E£154

29.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$0.81 E£41.68

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$0.74 E£37.89

133.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$0.66 E£33.97

166.67%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$1.44 E£73.7

119.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$3.85 E£197

245.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$4.33 E£222

81.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$9.45 E£485

67.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.43 E£73.4

67.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$0.54 E£27.72

214.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.42 E£21.63

383.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$0.36 E£18.54

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.40 E£20.64

365.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.41 E£20.82

402.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.22 E£11.22

809.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.21 E£10.75

271.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$1.94 E£99.5

242.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$5.77 E£296

0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.36 E£69.7

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.56 E£132

17.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$0.20 E£10.14

1065.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$0.52 E£26.87

684.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.46 E£23.66

73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$2.02 E£104

823.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.33 E£16.93

506.06%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$35.2K E£1.8M

0.61%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$33.2K E£1.7M

17.77%

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

$150 €132

$11.34 E£582

1223.81%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$5.61 E£288

266.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$10.20 E£523

286.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$22.52 E£1,155

113.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$3.03 E£155

206.93%

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

$628 €552

$89.0 E£4,567

605.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$1,816 E£93.2K

806.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$27.46 E£1,409

269.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$48.58 E£2,492

-14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$110 E£5,649

-16.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$50.0 E£2,566

145.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$187 E£9,574

772.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$101 E£5,157

1126.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$313 E£16.0K

899.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$178 E£9,106

1059.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$893 E£45.8K

769.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$405 E£20.8K

983.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$99.2 E£5,090

1533.91%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $187 in Mersa Matruh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1534% 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 $128 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 375% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $465 including rent). Mersa Matruh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1534% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $187 in Mersa Matruh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $465 in Mersa Matruh – a 375% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $465 in Mersa Matruh versus $2,210 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 375% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.