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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $992 in Phoenix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,549 in Phoenix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,106 in Phoenix.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 123% more expensive than Phoenix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Phoenix is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.74 MUR 319

136.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$43.77 MUR 2,068

47.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.48 MUR 306

62.19%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.57 MUR 122

11.67%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.96 MUR 45.57

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.55 MUR 26.15

172.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.12 MUR 100

64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.65 MUR 125

46.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.44 MUR 68.1

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.65 MUR 30.80

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.32 MUR 62.6

33.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.35 MUR 111

37.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.72 MUR 459

38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.03 MUR 285

31.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.40 MUR 491

52.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.00 MUR 94.4

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.99 MUR 93.8

-14.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.50 MUR 70.8

34.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.61 MUR 123

-5.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.03 MUR 48.61

78.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.94 MUR 44.24

112.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.83 MUR 39.30

132.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.54 MUR 25.35

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.09 MUR 288

8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.57 MUR 405

-33.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.81 MUR 85.4

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.10 MUR 99.3

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.99 MUR 46.97

139.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.29 MUR 202

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.63 MUR 124

-68.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$15.48 MUR 731

18.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.55 MUR 73.1

32.90%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

-5.32%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

37.54%

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

$148 €127

$49.50 MUR 2,339

198.73%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.63 MUR 880

10.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$31.78 MUR 1,502

24.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$38.37 MUR 1,813

24.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.93 MUR 280

54.81%

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

$614 €528

$151 MUR 7,133

306.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,881 MUR 183.4K

313.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$49.60 MUR 2,343

111.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$43.75 MUR 2,067

-3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$83.5 MUR 3,947

12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$79.4 MUR 3,752

50.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$552 MUR 26.1K

194.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$388 MUR 18.3K

223.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$876 MUR 41.4K

245.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$597 MUR 28.2K

238.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$949 MUR 44.9K

68.89%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phoenix: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $552 in Phoenix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 69% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Phoenix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 123% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $992 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 69% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $552 in Phoenix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $992 in Phoenix – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $992 in Phoenix versus $2,210 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 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.