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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,075 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,755 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,434 in Midlands.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.71 MUR 314

140.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$44.01 MUR 2,059

46.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.20 MUR 337

44.17%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.69 MUR 126

2.97%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.95 MUR 44.31

136.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.60 MUR 28.09

161.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.24 MUR 105

55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.21 MUR 150

24.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.67 MUR 78.2

-35.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.71 MUR 32.99

145.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.27 MUR 59.4

37.01%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.25 MUR 105

41.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$12.06 MUR 564

11.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.22 MUR 291

28.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$12.70 MUR 594

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.04 MUR 95.5

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.04 MUR 95.4

-15.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.45 MUR 68.1

33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.64 MUR 124

-3.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.99 MUR 46.22

84.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.93 MUR 43.36

119.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.84 MUR 39.31

135.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.81 MUR 37.88

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$6.78 MUR 317

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$8.37 MUR 392

-30.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.71 MUR 80.1

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.14 MUR 100

35.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.03 MUR 48.30

121.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$4.37 MUR 205

-6.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.74 MUR 128

-70.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$19.93 MUR 933

-8.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.45 MUR 68.0

38.62%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$35.1K MUR 1.6M

0.49%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$28.7K MUR 1.3M

34.33%

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

$145 €124

$48.65 MUR 2,276

198.87%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$18.58 MUR 869

12.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$33.46 MUR 1,566

19.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.83 MUR 1,770

28.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.01 MUR 281

50.75%

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

$607 €519

$152 MUR 7,117

298.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,933 MUR 184.0K

315.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$85.0 MUR 3,975

23.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$78.3 MUR 3,664

-47.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$133 MUR 6,243

-29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$93.9 MUR 4,391

26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$509 MUR 23.8K

215.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$357 MUR 16.7K

246.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$932 MUR 43.6K

226.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$730 MUR 34.1K

181.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Midlands: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $509 in Midlands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $232 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 107% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,075 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,613 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $509 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 $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,075 in Midlands – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,075 in Midlands versus $2,227 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 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.