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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,065 in Midlands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,709 in Midlands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,353 in Midlands.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 114% more expensive than in Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Midlands is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$6.77 MUR 317

132.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$44.86 MUR 2,101

41.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.07 MUR 331

47.81%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.55 MUR 119

14.12%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.96 MUR 45.02

138.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.60 MUR 28.01

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.18 MUR 102

63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.31 MUR 155

19.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.69 MUR 79.1

-36.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.70 MUR 32.93

151.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.28 MUR 60.1

32.81%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.25 MUR 105

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$12.07 MUR 565

9.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.13 MUR 287

25.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$12.49 MUR 585

26.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.08 MUR 97.2

9.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.93 MUR 90.4

-13.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.51 MUR 70.7

33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.64 MUR 123

-6.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.02 MUR 48.01

75.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.95 MUR 44.30

117.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.85 MUR 39.64

131.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.75 MUR 35.09

10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.76 MUR 317

-3.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$8.56 MUR 401

-34.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.79 MUR 83.8

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.23 MUR 104

34.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.04 MUR 48.73

118.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$4.51 MUR 211

-6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.72 MUR 128

-68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$19.45 MUR 911

-3.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.46 MUR 68.4

38.36%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-1.05%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

39.16%

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

$148 €128

$48.57 MUR 2,275

204.57%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$18.04 MUR 845

13.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$33.05 MUR 1,548

19.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$37.65 MUR 1,763

27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.88 MUR 276

54.76%

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

$615 €532

$152 MUR 7,110

305.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$4,018 MUR 188.2K

305.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$83.7 MUR 3,922

21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$79.8 MUR 3,738

-47.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$131 MUR 6,127

-29.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$96.1 MUR 4,501

27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$519 MUR 24.3K

210.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$347 MUR 16.2K

261.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$955 MUR 44.8K

221.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$721 MUR 33.8K

182.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Midlands: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $519 in Midlands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 114% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,065 including rent). Midlands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,598 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $519 in Midlands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,065 in Midlands – a 114% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,065 in Midlands versus $2,280 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 114% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.