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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,458 in Mlava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,103 in Mlava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,748 in Mlava.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 59% more expensive than in Mlava, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Mlava 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$10.83 zł 40.23

59.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$27.30 zł 101

131.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$8.06 zł 29.94

41.32%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.70 zł 10.02

18.15%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.99 zł 7.38

23.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.71 zł 6.34

2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.74 zł 10.18

31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.87 zł 14.39

-12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.07 zł 3.97

15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.77 zł 6.58

11.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.95 zł 3.53

60.00%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$4.00 zł 14.85

1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$9.55 zł 35.48

41.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$7.25 zł 26.93

15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$12.23 zł 45.43

49.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.42 zł 5.26

61.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.83 zł 6.81

-4.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.63 zł 6.04

14.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.22 zł 11.97

-18.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.99 zł 3.68

93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.38 zł 5.11

51.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.17 zł 4.35

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.69 zł 2.57

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$5.02 zł 18.63

35.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.56 zł 24.38

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.11 zł 4.13

24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.42 zł 5.26

56.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.17 zł 4.34

105.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$33.50 zł 124

39.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.32 zł 8.63

79.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.88 zł 3.25

29.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$10.42 zł 38.71

69.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.60 zł 5.93

45.00%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$31.8K zł 118.1K

11.10%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$29.0K zł 107.7K

42.93%

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

$170 €147

$264 zł 981

-35.52%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$6.75 zł 25.07

186.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$8.04 zł 29.86

318.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$40.21 zł 149

19.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$23.60 zł 87.7

-15.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$5.35 zł 19.89

85.42%

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

$717 €617

$337 zł 1,252

112.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,444 zł 20.2K

221.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$85.7 zł 318

22.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$38.45 zł 143

22.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$93.1 zł 346

11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$81.6 zł 303

51.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$623 zł 2,315

168.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$515 zł 1,912

146.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,043 zł 3,875

186.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$881 zł 3,272

126.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$3,093 zł 11.5K

153.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$2,322 zł 8,623

100.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,080 zł 4,010

46.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.89

-44.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mlava: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $623 in Mlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 47% 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 $27.00 in Mlava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $231 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 59% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,458 including rent). Mlava is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $623 in Mlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $337 in Mlava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,458 in Mlava versus $2,316 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 59% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.