Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Midlands Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Midlands

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,078 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,741 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,405 in Midlands.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.67 MUR 314

138.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$44.23 MUR 2,083

43.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.20 MUR 339

44.17%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.54 MUR 119

9.84%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.95 MUR 44.91

146.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.59 MUR 27.91

166.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.23 MUR 105

53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.32 MUR 156

17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.68 MUR 79.2

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.71 MUR 33.50

149.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.32 MUR 62.1

29.55%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.35 MUR 111

34.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$11.71 MUR 551

16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.11 MUR 288

31.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$12.51 MUR 589

24.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.99 MUR 93.6

15.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.01 MUR 94.7

-18.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.51 MUR 71.1

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.71 MUR 128

-7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.99 MUR 46.48

80.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.93 MUR 43.70

116.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.79 MUR 37.14

149.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.81 MUR 38.22

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.50 MUR 306

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$8.25 MUR 389

-31.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.72 MUR 81.0

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.21 MUR 104

36.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.01 MUR 47.34

124.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$4.49 MUR 211

-4.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.75 MUR 129

-69.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$20.01 MUR 942

-8.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.40 MUR 66.0

42.14%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-1.85%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

35.94%

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

$146 €126

$49.38 MUR 2,325

196.03%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$18.03 MUR 849

13.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$33.05 MUR 1,556

17.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$37.69 MUR 1,775

29.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.89 MUR 277

61.63%

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

$608 €524

$155 MUR 7,285

293.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,035 MUR 190.0K

309.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$86.4 MUR 4,069

20.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$79.5 MUR 3,745

-47.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$130 MUR 6,128

-29.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$95.5 MUR 4,495

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$515 MUR 24.3K

214.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$358 MUR 16.9K

253.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$930 MUR 43.8K

227.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$717 MUR 33.8K

180.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Midlands: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $515 in Midlands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $231 per month, with Midlands 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 Midlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Midlands differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,078 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $1,617 in Midlands to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $515 in Midlands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,078 in Midlands – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,078 in Midlands versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Midlands but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Midlands 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 Midlands 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 Midlands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.