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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,938 in Mestre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $3,024 in Mestre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $4,109 in Mestre.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 18% more expensive than in Mestre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Mestre 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$23.58 €20.56

-33.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$94.0 €82.0

-32.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$12.35 €10.77

-15.38%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.11 €1.84

37.91%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$3.18 €2.77

-27.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.67 €1.46

-10.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$5.72 €4.99

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$4.74 €4.13

-16.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.67 €1.45

-35.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.96 €2.58

-40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.85 €2.49

-40.35%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$4.36 €3.81

-25.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$16.51 €14.39

-19.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$12.58 €10.97

-38.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$14.39 €12.55

9.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.90 €2.53

-21.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.98 €1.73

-16.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.68 €2.33

-24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.68 €2.34

-7.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.64 €1.43

26.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.86 €1.62

5.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.47 €0.41

76.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$6.82 €5.94

-3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$6.80 €5.93

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.52 €1.33

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.98 €1.72

52.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.71 €1.49

32.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$48.32 €42.12

-4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$7.14 €6.22

-40.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.46 €1.28

-41.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$46.22 €40.29

-59.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.08 €1.81

-2.88%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$30.6K €26.7K

14.19%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$28.1K €24.5K

41.28%

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

$148 €129

$225 €196

-34.13%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$13.48 €11.76

52.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$26.92 €23.47

46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$58.9 €51.3

-18.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$20.42 €17.80

-9.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$11.53 €10.06

-21.08%

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

$615 €536

$571 €497

7.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$5,750 €5,013

183.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$81.4 €71.0

24.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$46.83 €40.83

-10.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$99.2 €86.5

-6.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$147 €128

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$909 €793

77.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$752 €655

66.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$1,599 €1,394

91.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$1,292 €1,127

57.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,965 €1,713

294.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$1,568 €1,367

173.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,953 €1,702

-17.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.9

-22.24%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mestre: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $909 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $94.0 in Mestre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $328 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 18% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,938 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $909 in Mestre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $571 in Mestre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,938 in Mestre versus $2,280 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 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.