Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Monrovia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Monrovia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Lisbon versus $1,303 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,446 in Lisbon versus $1,905 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,537 in Lisbon versus $2,506 in Monrovia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 81% more expensive than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 73% above, Monrovia is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 €14.86

$7.42 LRD 1,340

131.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €55.0

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €9.95

$10.78 LRD 1,948

6.49%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.69

$2.93 LRD 529

6.14%

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

$2.41 €2.09

$1.94 LRD 351

24.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.95 LRD 352

-16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.93

$4.09 LRD 738

-17.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €2.99

$2.94 LRD 532

17.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$2.10 LRD 380

-42.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.83 LRD 330

6.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.31

$5.17 LRD 935

-70.79%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.46

$3.64 LRD 658

9.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.42

$7.49 LRD 1,354

76.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 €6.93

$11.74 LRD 2,120

-31.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 €14.64

$13.95 LRD 2,520

21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.02

$1.63 LRD 294

42.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$8.61 LRD 1,556

-78.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$10.27 LRD 1,855

-80.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.22

$11.13 LRD 2,011

-77.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.24 LRD 405

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.78

$10.64 LRD 1,921

-80.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$4.61 LRD 833

-67.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$2.05 LRD 371

-58.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.16

$4.99 LRD 901

42.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.13

$6.92 LRD 1,249

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.53 LRD 456

-45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.85

$3.53 LRD 637

-39.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.93 LRD 530

-16.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.67 €39.55

$19.69 LRD 3,557

131.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.46

$1.96 LRD 355

104.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.87 LRD 338

-40.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.36 €15.03

$25.13 LRD 4,539

-30.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.21 LRD 219

86.78%

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

$34.1K €29.5K

$20.3K LRD 3.7M

67.96%

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

$40.8K €35.4K

$14.9K LRD 2.7M

174.58%

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

$173 €150

$149 LRD 27.0K

15.98%

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

$19.21 €16.64

$22.11 LRD 3,993

-13.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.09 €29.52

$178 LRD 32.2K

-80.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 €41.31

$61.8 LRD 11.2K

-22.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 €16.98

$9.81 LRD 1,773

99.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 €8.62

$5.03 LRD 908

97.81%

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

$706 €611

$99.7 LRD 18.0K

608.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$986 LRD 178.1K

1666.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.6

$25.25 LRD 4,560

332.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.13 €40.82

$32.05 LRD 5,789

47.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.6

$54.0 LRD 9,747

100.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$92.3 LRD 16.7K

38.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,444

$249 LRD 45.1K

568.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,116

$95.7 LRD 17.3K

1246.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 €2,526

$658 LRD 118.8K

343.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 €1,790

$268 LRD 48.4K

671.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,760 €6,721

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,446 €3,851

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,679 €1,454

$711 LRD 128.4K

136.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 9, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: August 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Lisbon and $249 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 136% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Monrovia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Monrovia differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,303 including rent). Monrovia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% 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: $1,668 in Lisbon versus $249 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 66% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,356 per month in Lisbon versus $1,303 in Monrovia – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,303 in Monrovia versus $2,356 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia 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 Monrovia 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 Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.