Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mlava Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mlava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,469 in Mlava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,065 in Mlava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,661 in Mlava.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 50% more expensive than Mlava, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Mlava 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$10.91 zł 39.77

45.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$26.82 zł 97.8

141.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$8.90 zł 32.45

18.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.65 zł 9.64

8.30%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.97 zł 7.20

13.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.73 zł 6.32

-13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.65 zł 9.68

31.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.96 zł 14.44

-2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.03 zł 3.74

10.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.34 zł 4.89

30.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.81 zł 6.61

-2.76%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.49 zł 12.74

-7.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.49 zł 34.61

42.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.50 zł 23.72

21.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.27 zł 48.38

19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.06 zł 3.86

117.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.86 zł 6.78

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.95 zł 7.13

3.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.76 zł 10.06

-10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.99 zł 3.60

85.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.14 zł 4.17

75.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.40 zł 5.12

37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.69 zł 2.51

14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$5.04 zł 18.39

31.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.78 zł 24.71

-15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.12 zł 4.09

22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.51 zł 5.51

96.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.12 zł 4.07

111.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$33.03 zł 120

37.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.23 zł 8.13

92.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.82 zł 3.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$13.41 zł 48.89

36.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.68 zł 6.14

22.62%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$31.9K zł 116.5K

7.31%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.6K zł 115.4K

24.17%

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

$148 €127

$310 zł 1,129

-52.26%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$6.76 zł 24.67

203.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$8.18 zł 29.84

384.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$36.23 zł 132

32.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$19.32 zł 70.5

-2.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.36 zł 19.53

71.27%

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

$614 €529

$379 zł 1,383

61.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,776 zł 28.4K

106.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$83.7 zł 305

25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$43.05 zł 157

-2.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$86.0 zł 314

9.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$82.2 zł 300

45.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$646 zł 2,357

151.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$504 zł 1,839

148.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$987 zł 3,599

206.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$803 zł 2,926

151.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$3,090 zł 11.3K

152.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$2,304 zł 8,402

85.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,097 zł 3,999

46.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.01

-45.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mlava: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $646 in Mlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 46% 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 $27.00 in Mlava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $225 per month, with Mlava 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 Mlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mlava differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,469 including rent). Mlava is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 46% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $646 in Mlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $379 in Mlava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,469 in Mlava versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mlava but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mlava 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 Mlava 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 Mlava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.