Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Phoenix Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Phoenix

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,000 in Phoenix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,548 in Phoenix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,096 in Phoenix.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 129% more expensive than in Phoenix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Phoenix is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.68 MUR 314

142.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$43.50 MUR 2,043

45.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.68 MUR 314

54.49%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.66 MUR 125

6.39%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.02 MUR 47.70

124.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.57 MUR 26.64

177.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.17 MUR 102

56.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.73 MUR 128

47.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.44 MUR 67.9

-24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.66 MUR 30.99

165.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.28 MUR 59.9

37.50%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.33 MUR 109

36.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.83 MUR 462

34.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.06 MUR 285

31.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.49 MUR 493

48.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.97 MUR 92.4

20.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.90 MUR 89.4

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.50 MUR 70.4

34.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.70 MUR 127

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.03 MUR 48.33

70.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.99 MUR 46.37

105.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.79 MUR 36.90

143.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.54 MUR 25.30

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.92 MUR 278

11.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.56 MUR 402

-34.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.75 MUR 82.2

-24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.17 MUR 102

36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.00 MUR 46.86

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.46 MUR 210

-5.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.59 MUR 122

-68.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$15.68 MUR 737

17.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.60 MUR 75.0

30.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$35.2K MUR 1.7M

-1.39%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

34.58%

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

$148 €130

$48.82 MUR 2,293

203.26%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$18.68 MUR 878

9.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$32.62 MUR 1,533

21.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$38.01 MUR 1,786

26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.22 MUR 292

48.23%

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

$616 €539

$153 MUR 7,171

303.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,977 MUR 186.8K

313.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$50.8 MUR 2,387

102.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$43.19 MUR 2,029

-3.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$83.7 MUR 3,933

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$77.7 MUR 3,649

57.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$558 MUR 26.2K

192.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$391 MUR 18.4K

215.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$874 MUR 41.0K

254.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$610 MUR 28.7K

232.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$937 MUR 44.0K

71.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.25

-39.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phoenix: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $558 in Phoenix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 72% 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 $43.00 in Phoenix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $212 per month, with Phoenix 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 Phoenix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Phoenix differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,000 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $558 in Phoenix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,000 in Phoenix – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,000 in Phoenix versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phoenix but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Phoenix 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 Phoenix 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 Phoenix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.