Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montijo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montijo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,844 in Montijo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,625 in Montijo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,405 in Montijo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 23% more expensive than Montijo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Montijo 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$12.56 €10.82

26.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$47.14 €40.62

34.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.28 €7.99

11.85%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.59 €2.23

7.72%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.82 €1.57

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.26 €1.09

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.29 €1.98

49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.39 €2.92

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.10 €0.95

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.47 €1.26

20.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.08 €1.79

-17.79%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.44 €2.97

-8.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$11.39 €9.81

20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$7.67 €6.61

4.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$14.15 €12.19

9.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.67 €2.30

-14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.46 €1.26

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.69 €1.45

14.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.07 €2.64

-18.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.53 €1.32

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.30 €1.98

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.60 €1.38

23.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.88 €0.76

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.13 €5.28

10.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.02 €6.05

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.26 €1.08

10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.15 €0.99

162.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.02 €1.74

12.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$46.84 €40.36

-2.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.68 €3.17

16.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.20 €1.03

-29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$17.14 €14.77

6.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.97 €1.69

1.02%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

0.12%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$39.9K €34.4K

-0.99%

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

$146 €126

$135 €116

8.55%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$21.63 €18.64

-5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$51.1 €44.02

-23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$23.10 €19.90

112.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$8.25 €7.11

15.39%

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

$608 €524

$474 €408

28.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$7,200 €6,204

129.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$69.3 €59.7

49.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$39.82 €34.31

5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$70.1 €60.4

31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$93.4 €80.5

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$1,369 €1,179

18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$975 €840

29.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,779 €1,533

71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,446 €1,246

38.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$3,274 €2,821

134.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,422 €2,086

78.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,134 €977

39.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.01

-23.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Montijo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $1,369 in Montijo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 40% 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 $47.00 in Montijo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $256 per month, with Montijo 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 Montijo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Montijo differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,844 including rent). Montijo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 40% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $1,369 in Montijo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $474 in Montijo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,844 in Montijo versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montijo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Montijo 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 Montijo 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 Montijo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.