Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,185 in Palma de Mallorca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,219 in Palma de Mallorca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,252 in Palma de Mallorca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1% more expensive than Palma de Mallorca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Palma de Mallorca 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$17.43 €14.99

-8.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$62.7 €53.9

3.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$14.03 €12.07

-25.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.35 €2.88

-14.33%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.86 €2.46

-21.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.80 €2.41

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$4.65 €4.00

-24.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.49 €3.86

-13.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.16 €1.00

-1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.63 €1.40

7.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.76 €1.52

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.34 €2.87

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$16.31 €14.03

-17.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.41 €8.09

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$16.13 €13.88

-1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.45 €2.10

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.91 €1.64

-10.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.93 €1.66

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.92 €2.51

-15.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.85 €1.59

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.30 €1.98

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.30 €1.12

48.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 €0.61

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.78 €5.83

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.77 €4.97

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.30 €1.12

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.79 €1.54

65.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.30 €1.98

3.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$44.31 €38.11

2.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.05 €4.34

-15.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.15 €2.71

-73.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$25.06 €21.56

-26.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.85 €1.59

11.35%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.7K €33.3K

-11.42%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$32.6K €28.0K

20.63%

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

$148 €127

$247 €212

-40.02%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$21.92 €18.86

-6.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$42.42 €36.49

-6.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$58.9 €50.7

-18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$22.18 €19.08

-14.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.51 €8.18

-3.47%

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

$614 €528

$600 €516

2.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$12.3K €10.6K

30.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$96.2 €82.7

8.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$63.8 €54.9

-34.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$96.9 €83.3

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$135 €116

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,328 €1,142

22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,016 €874

23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,085 €1,794

45.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,690 €1,454

19.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$7,092 €6,100

9.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$3,824 €3,289

11.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,063 €1,774

-22.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.59

6.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Palma de Mallorca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,328 in Palma de Mallorca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palma de Mallorca pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $63.0 in Palma de Mallorca. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $284, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Palma de Mallorca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,185 including rent). Palma de Mallorca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Palma de Mallorca earns 29% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,328 in Palma de Mallorca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $600 in Palma de Mallorca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,185 in Palma de Mallorca versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Palma de Mallorca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palma de Mallorca 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 Palma de Mallorca 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 Palma de Mallorca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.