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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,443 in Mlava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,079 in Mlava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,715 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 71% above, Mlava 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$10.87 zł 41.23

48.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$26.92 zł 102

135.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.50 zł 32.26

21.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.66 zł 10.08

6.39%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.98 zł 7.50

15.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.80 zł 6.84

-12.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.77 zł 10.49

22.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.06 zł 15.39

-0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.02 zł 3.86

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.31 zł 4.96

33.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.81 zł 6.85

-2.76%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.48 zł 13.19

-8.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.28 zł 35.21

42.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.51 zł 24.70

22.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.24 zł 50.2

17.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.04 zł 3.96

127.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.82 zł 6.91

-6.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.03 zł 7.70

-0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.76 zł 10.48

-11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.98 zł 3.73

79.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.14 zł 4.33

78.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.40 zł 5.30

37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.64 zł 2.44

32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.00 zł 18.95

31.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.74 zł 25.59

-17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.16 zł 4.41

14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.51 zł 5.72

96.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.10 zł 4.18

107.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$32.32 zł 123

41.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.23 zł 8.46

89.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.83 zł 3.14

-2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$13.65 zł 51.8

35.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.70 zł 6.44

22.35%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$33.2K zł 125.8K

4.57%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$31.1K zł 117.9K

26.05%

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

$148 €130

$316 zł 1,198

-53.11%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$6.73 zł 25.53

204.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$8.19 zł 31.09

383.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$36.09 zł 137

32.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$19.75 zł 75.0

-5.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.37 zł 20.36

71.69%

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

$616 €540

$378 zł 1,434

63.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,618 zł 28.9K

115.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$84.1 zł 319

22.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$42.91 zł 163

-2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$86.7 zł 329

9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$82.3 zł 312

48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$654 zł 2,480

149.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$497 zł 1,887

147.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$972 zł 3,689

218.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$824 zł 3,126

146.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,954 zł 11.2K

165.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,300 zł 8,727

90.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,032 zł 3,915

55.78%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mlava: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $654 in Mlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 56% 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 $267 vs $223 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 ($2,291 vs $1,443 including rent). Mlava is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $654 in Mlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $378 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 $1,443 in Mlava versus $2,291 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.