Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Merthyr Tydfil Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Merthyr Tydfil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,255 in Merthyr Tydfil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,127 in Merthyr Tydfil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,999 in Merthyr Tydfil.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 2% more expensive than in Merthyr Tydfil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Merthyr Tydfil 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$20.22 £15.05

-19.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$61.7 £45.96

2.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.28 £6.17

24.64%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.58 £2.67

-20.95%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.28 £1.70

0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.76 £1.31

-10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.00 £3.72

-32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.46 £3.32

-9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.91 £1.42

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.69 £1.26

3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.81 £2.09

-37.37%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.47 £4.07

-42.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.45 £10.76

-8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$9.16 £6.82

-12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$14.05 £10.46

10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.04 £3.01

-41.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.56 £1.16

9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.18 £2.37

-36.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$5.50 £4.10

-55.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.65 £1.23

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.05 £1.53

-0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.02 £0.76

88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.08 £1.55

-59.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$19.85 £14.78

-66.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$14.57 £10.85

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.48 £2.59

-61.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$4.51 £3.36

-34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.31 £2.47

-31.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$99.9 £74.4

-54.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$8.00 £5.95

-47.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.37 £1.02

-40.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$34.24 £25.49

-46.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.99 £1.48

4.52%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$39.2K £29.2K

-11.46%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$43.8K £32.6K

-10.58%

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

$148 €130

$380 £283

-61.05%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$18.78 £13.98

8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$46.53 £34.64

-14.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$45.14 £33.61

6.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$14.65 £10.91

-37.06%

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

$616 €540

$1,778 £1,323

-65.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$18.3K £13.6K

-9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$96.1 £71.6

6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$51.2 £38.09

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$91.6 £68.2

3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$120 £89.5

1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$811 £604

101.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$771 £574

59.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,173 £874

164.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,016 £756

100.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,628 £1,212

-1.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.74

-33.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Merthyr Tydfil: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $811 in Merthyr Tydfil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merthyr Tydfil pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $62.0 in Merthyr Tydfil. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $364, 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 Merthyr Tydfil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Merthyr Tydfil differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,255 including rent). Merthyr Tydfil is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Merthyr Tydfil. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $811 in Merthyr Tydfil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $1,778 in Merthyr Tydfil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,255 in Merthyr Tydfil versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merthyr Tydfil but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Merthyr Tydfil 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 Merthyr Tydfil 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 Merthyr Tydfil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.