Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Oued Zem Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Oued Zem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $763 in Oued Zem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,250 in Oued Zem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,737 in Oued Zem.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 197% more expensive than in Oued Zem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Oued Zem is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.19 MAD 39.41

318.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$45.68 MAD 429

41.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.52 MAD 70.6

54.92%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.01 MAD 18.89

62.19%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.65 MAD 6.07

283.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.36 MAD 3.34

363.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.26 MAD 49.40

-34.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.24 MAD 30.49

10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.92 MAD 8.65

28.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.66 MAD 6.17

195.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.94 MAD 18.22

-19.59%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.00 MAD 18.79

100.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$12.01 MAD 113

10.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.66 MAD 62.6

26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.66 MAD 119

44.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.64 MAD 15.40

41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.47 MAD 13.81

17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.88 MAD 8.28

119.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.93 MAD 8.74

183.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.76 MAD 7.11

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.78 MAD 7.30

170.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.41 MAD 3.90

251.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.61 MAD 5.77

31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.25 MAD 39.96

64.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.73 MAD 72.6

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.71 MAD 25.46

-49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.80 MAD 26.33

-23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.55 MAD 5.14

332.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$19.29 MAD 181

139.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.74 MAD 6.94

466.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.91 MAD 8.54

20.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.42 MAD 41.57

290.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.60 MAD 15.00

40.62%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$36.0K MAD 337.9K

-4.14%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$32.8K MAD 308.4K

26.80%

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

$171 €147

$36.54 MAD 343

367.65%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$10.49 MAD 98.6

81.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$33.61 MAD 316

1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$26.79 MAD 252

85.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$21.97 MAD 206

-11.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.27 MAD 58.9

61.08%

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

$699 €603

$190 MAD 1,782

268.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,178 MAD 67.5K

147.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$50.7 MAD 476

106.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$45.58 MAD 428

5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$93.3 MAD 877

9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$70.5 MAD 663

81.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$272 MAD 2,558

510.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$172 MAD 1,612

615.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$489 MAD 4,591

496.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$271 MAD 2,548

646.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,242 MAD 11.7K

554.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$863 MAD 8,114

436.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$249 MAD 2,343

549.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.52

-16.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $272 in Oued Zem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 549% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Oued Zem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $211 per month, with Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Oued Zem differ by about 197% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $763 including rent). Oued Zem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 549% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $272 in Oued Zem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $190 in Oued Zem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $763 in Oued Zem versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oued Zem but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.