Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Middelburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Middelburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,009 in Middelburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,579 in Middelburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,150 in Middelburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 121% more expensive than Middelburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Middelburg is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$8.75 R 147

84.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$33.79 R 567

91.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.82 R 80.8

115.35%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.21 R 20.23

128.93%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.80 R 13.44

181.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.57 R 9.60

175.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.14 R 19.06

206.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$1.37 R 22.92

191.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.14 R 19.18

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.96 R 16.02

81.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.39 R 23.30

25.18%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.59 R 26.73

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$5.57 R 93.5

141.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.62 R 77.4

72.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$6.33 R 106

154.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.50 R 25.08

52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.01 R 16.91

70.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.09 R 18.30

77.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.16 R 19.44

118.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.54 R 25.90

18.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.11 R 18.65

83.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.17 R 19.63

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.91 R 15.25

-6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.23 R 37.41

207.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.81 R 80.7

20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.64 R 27.43

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.01 R 33.70

44.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.29 R 21.64

76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$38.64 R 648

21.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.14 R 19.05

257.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.96 R 16.14

-14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$4.07 R 68.3

348.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.24 R 20.86

62.10%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$21.3K R 356.6K

65.86%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$23.7K R 397.0K

62.60%

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

$145 €124

$116 R 1,949

25.11%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$35.10 R 589

-40.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$42.23 R 708

-5.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$30.54 R 512

59.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.82 R 114

32.84%

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

$607 €519

$201 R 3,369

201.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,340 R 72.8K

276.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$50.6 R 849

106.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$32.83 R 551

24.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$87.7 R 1,470

6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$80.4 R 1,349

47.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$364 R 6,111

340.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$330 R 5,535

274.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$679 R 11.4K

348.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$700 R 11.7K

193.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$772 R 12.9K

899.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$678 R 11.4K

529.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,178 R 19.8K

34.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.51

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $364 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 35% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Middelburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $160 per month, with Middelburg 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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Middelburg differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,009 including rent). Middelburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 35% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $364 in Middelburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $201 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,009 in Middelburg versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg 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 Middelburg 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 Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.