Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mestre Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mestre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,876 in Mestre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,959 in Mestre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $4,043 in Mestre.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Mestre 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$14.15 €12.20

24.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$91.4 €78.8

-29.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$12.89 €11.11

-9.62%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.22 €1.91

46.85%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$3.11 €2.68

-19.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.54 €1.33

8.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$7.02 €6.05

-50.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.56 €4.79

-35.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.72 €1.48

-31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.52 €2.17

-22.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.31 €2.85

-52.87%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.89 €3.36

3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$17.94 €15.47

-26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$12.85 €11.08

-34.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$20.10 €17.33

-9.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.18 €2.74

-27.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.06 €1.78

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.61 €3.12

-46.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$3.32 €2.86

-20.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.00 €1.73

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.28 €1.97

-7.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.73 €1.49

-16.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.65 €0.56

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.94 €5.99

1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.13 €6.15

-16.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.61 €1.39

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.82 €1.57

18.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.76 €1.52

35.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$43.17 €37.23

7.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$4.86 €4.19

-13.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.53 €1.32

-28.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$32.84 €28.32

-47.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.13 €1.84

5.63%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$37.3K €32.2K

-7.58%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$37.4K €32.2K

11.37%

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

$171 €147

$217 €187

-21.41%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$9.02 €7.78

110.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$28.59 €24.65

19.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$49.18 €42.41

0.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

$20.57 €17.74

-5.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$11.81 €10.18

-14.48%

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

$699 €603

$696 €601

0.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$11.8K €10.2K

50.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$82.7 €71.3

26.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$34.97 €30.15

37.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$109 €93.6

-6.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$174 €150

-26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$890 €767

86.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$693 €597

77.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$1,494 €1,288

95.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$1,210 €1,043

67.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$1,975 €1,703

311.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$1,641 €1,415

182.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,969 €1,698

-17.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.34

13.17%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mestre: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $890 in Mestre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mestre pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $91.0 in Mestre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $360 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 Mestre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mestre differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,876 including rent). Mestre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Mestre. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $890 in Mestre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $696 in Mestre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,876 in Mestre versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mestre but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mestre 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 Mestre 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 Mestre 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.