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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $473 in Mersa Matruh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $777 in Mersa Matruh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,081 in Mersa Matruh.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 379% more expensive than in Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Mersa Matruh is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$4.31 E£219

307.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$16.68 E£849

286.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$4.83 E£246

141.20%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$1.32 E£67.0

146.97%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.35 E£17.56

611.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.11 E£5.66

1418.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.36 E£69.4

155.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$2.87 E£146

24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.85 E£43.34

38.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$0.71 E£36.12

174.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$0.62 E£31.75

151.61%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.21 E£61.7

231.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$3.81 E£194

248.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.59 E£234

83.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$9.29 E£473

96.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.57 E£79.8

47.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.79 E£40.08

118.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.58 E£29.38

232.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.38 E£19.35

594.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.25 E£12.72

660.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.33 E£16.85

539.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.27 E£13.69

433.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.22 E£11.19

263.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$2.00 E£102

250.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$6.02 E£306

-1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.29 E£65.6

5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.74 E£139

-21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.20 E£10.16

1090.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.57 E£28.80

635.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.42 E£21.47

161.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$1.91 E£97.3

803.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.44 E£22.46

411.36%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$33.9K E£1.7M

1.69%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$28.6K E£1.5M

45.32%

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

$171 €147

$14.34 E£729

1091.63%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$7.11 E£362

167.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$13.70 E£697

150.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$18.94 E£963

162.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$2.99 E£152

237.79%

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

$699 €601

$84.7 E£4,309

725.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,122 E£108.0K

737.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$32.80 E£1,668

218.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$44.31 E£2,254

8.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$126 E£6,394

-18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$54.7 E£2,781

134.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$141 E£7,169

1078.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$77.5 E£3,943

1484.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$263 E£13.4K

1009.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$152 E£7,732

1231.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$786 E£40.0K

933.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$447 E£22.7K

937.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$97.6 E£4,964

1559.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

21.33

-82.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $141 in Mersa Matruh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1559% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $17.00 in Mersa Matruh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $131 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 379% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $473 including rent). Mersa Matruh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1559% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $141 in Mersa Matruh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $473 in Mersa Matruh – a 379% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $473 in Mersa Matruh versus $2,268 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 379% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.