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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $783 in Oued Zem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,295 in Oued Zem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,808 in Oued Zem.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 189% more expensive than Oued Zem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Oued Zem is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$4.63 MAD 42.81

244.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$49.13 MAD 454

28.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$6.81 MAD 63.0

52.42%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.04 MAD 18.87

36.76%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.58 MAD 5.35

303.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.41 MAD 3.77

282.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$5.38 MAD 49.78

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.05 MAD 37.46

-3.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.89 MAD 8.21

21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.50 MAD 4.65

254.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.87 MAD 17.30

-8.56%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.02 MAD 18.73

55.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$13.04 MAD 121

4.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.95 MAD 64.3

15.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.61 MAD 107

33.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.60 MAD 14.78

43.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.39 MAD 12.89

17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.78 MAD 7.23

148.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.86 MAD 7.96

191.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.72 MAD 6.70

148.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.69 MAD 6.39

191.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.39 MAD 3.65

405.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.58 MAD 5.38

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.40 MAD 40.70

54.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.73 MAD 71.5

-26.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.74 MAD 25.34

-49.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.43 MAD 22.48

24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.47 MAD 4.38

382.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$16.59 MAD 153

173.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.56 MAD 5.22

666.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.88 MAD 8.11

-3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$4.33 MAD 40.08

322.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.53 MAD 14.16

30.07%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$36.5K MAD 338.0K

-4.12%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$29.0K MAD 268.1K

36.44%

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

$146 €126

$41.67 MAD 385

250.80%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$10.86 MAD 100

88.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$39.64 MAD 367

-1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$23.97 MAD 222

104.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$23.10 MAD 214

-18.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.76 MAD 62.5

40.83%

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

$608 €524

$160 MAD 1,480

280.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$6,473 MAD 59.9K

155.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$53.4 MAD 494

94.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$47.87 MAD 443

-12.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$106 MAD 979

-12.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$101 MAD 931

19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$279 MAD 2,584

480.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$176 MAD 1,632

618.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$509 MAD 4,707

499.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$307 MAD 2,841

554.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,380 MAD 12.8K

455.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,050 MAD 9,710

312.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$246 MAD 2,274

544.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.81

-20.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $279 in Oued Zem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 545% 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 $49.00 in Oued Zem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $208 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 189% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $783 including rent). Oued Zem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 545% 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 $279 in Oued Zem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $160 in Oued Zem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Oued Zem versus $2,263 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 189% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.