Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mortsel Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mortsel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,066 in Mortsel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,141 in Mortsel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $4,215 in Mortsel.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 9% more expensive than Mortsel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Mortsel 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$23.08 €20.01

-30.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$115 €99.9

-45.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$12.61 €10.93

-17.68%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$4.10 €3.56

-31.95%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$3.48 €3.02

-32.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$3.18 €2.76

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$5.45 €4.72

-37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$4.69 €4.07

-16.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.35 €1.17

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.74 €2.37

-35.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.36 €2.04

-27.54%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$4.11 €3.57

-23.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$17.40 €15.08

-21.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$11.87 €10.29

-32.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$21.97 €19.04

-29.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$2.90 €2.51

-21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.42 €2.09

-32.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.36 €2.05

-17.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$3.07 €2.66

-18.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.86 €1.61

-3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$2.13 €1.85

-5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.31 €1.14

50.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 €0.71

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$12.50 €10.83

-45.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$9.14 €7.93

-37.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.91 €1.66

-27.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$2.29 €1.99

31.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.63 €2.28

-13.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$55.8 €48.35

-18.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$5.77 €5.00

-25.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.52 €2.18

-66.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$46.40 €40.22

-60.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.91 €1.66

4.19%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$34.0K €29.4K

3.19%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$33.6K €29.1K

17.76%

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

$146 €127

$227 €197

-35.63%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$23.50 €20.37

-12.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$51.2 €44.37

-23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$39.12 €33.90

25.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$16.78 €14.55

12.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$15.00 €13.00

-36.53%

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

$608 €527

$581 €504

4.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$13.6K €11.8K

21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$112 €96.7

-6.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$49.37 €42.79

-14.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$107 €92.5

-13.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$165 €143

-27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$911 €789

78.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$756 €655

67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$1,336 €1,158

128.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$1,119 €970

79.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$4,446 €3,854

72.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$3,308 €2,867

30.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

$2,442 €2,117

-35.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mortsel: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $911 in Mortsel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mortsel pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $115 in Mortsel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $355 per month, with Lisbon 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 Mortsel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mortsel differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $2,066 including rent). Mortsel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mortsel earns 54% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $911 in Mortsel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $581 in Mortsel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,066 in Mortsel versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mortsel but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mortsel 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 Mortsel 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 Mortsel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.