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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,006 in Middelburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,566 in Middelburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,127 in Middelburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 125% more expensive than Middelburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Middelburg is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$8.52 R 138

87.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$33.73 R 545

87.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.80 R 77.5

116.25%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.22 R 19.70

128.69%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.76 R 12.22

207.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.57 R 9.15

175.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.10 R 17.72

211.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$1.42 R 23.02

175.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.16 R 18.79

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.95 R 15.42

86.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.38 R 22.29

23.91%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.60 R 25.94

96.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$5.60 R 90.5

144.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.73 R 76.5

69.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$6.04 R 97.6

156.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.49 R 24.08

53.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.02 R 16.46

60.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.08 R 17.53

79.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.20 R 19.48

109.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.62 R 26.12

10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.12 R 18.06

79.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.13 R 18.24

74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.95 R 15.39

-11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.26 R 36.49

200.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$4.82 R 78.0

17.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.72 R 27.88

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.95 R 31.45

54.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.30 R 21.06

74.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$38.62 R 624

17.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.10 R 17.81

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.95 R 15.40

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$3.91 R 63.3

367.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.28 R 20.75

55.47%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$21.1K R 341.8K

65.71%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$23.7K R 382.6K

67.09%

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

$146 €126

$116 R 1,879

25.79%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$34.90 R 564

-41.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$42.11 R 681

-7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$30.87 R 499

58.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.73 R 109

41.46%

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

$608 €524

$198 R 3,204

206.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,306 R 69.6K

283.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$49.47 R 800

110.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$31.96 R 517

31.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$88.1 R 1,424

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$80.1 R 1,294

49.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$359 R 5,802

351.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$339 R 5,484

273.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$682 R 11.0K

347.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$678 R 11.0K

196.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$896 R 14.5K

755.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$696 R 11.2K

522.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,167 R 18.9K

35.86%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $359 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 36% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Middelburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $161 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 125% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,006 including rent). Middelburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 36% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $359 in Middelburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $198 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,006 in Middelburg versus $2,263 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 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.