Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rabat Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rabat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,929 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,828 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,727 in Rabat.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than in Rabat, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Rabat 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$17.32 €14.89

-0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$51.7 €44.40

22.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$11.42 €9.82

-0.26%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.38 €2.05

34.03%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$2.55 €2.19

-3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.52 €3.03

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.44 €2.95

-1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.17 €1.01

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.41 €1.21

40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.36 €2.03

-35.59%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$3.77 €3.24

7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$8.58 €7.38

57.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$8.33 €7.16

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$12.88 €11.07

41.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$4.27 €3.67

-46.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.26 €1.95

-23.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.84 €3.30

-51.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.38 €2.05

10.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.13 €0.97

69.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.14 €0.98

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.18 €1.01

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.19 €1.02

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.97 €5.99

-2.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.32 €7.15

-31.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.75 €1.50

-21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.50 €2.15

-11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.84 €2.44

-15.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.76 €4.95

-27.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.36 €2.03

-51.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$27.36 €23.52

-35.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.54 €1.32

50.65%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$40.0K €34.4K

-11.65%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$40.5K €34.8K

2.38%

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

$170 €146

$107 €92.0

59.16%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$12.92 €11.10

49.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$44.09 €37.90

-23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$64.3 €55.3

-25.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$22.96 €19.74

-13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$10.28 €8.84

-3.50%

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

$717 €617

$387 €333

85.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$11.6K €9,967

50.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$91.8 €78.9

14.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$29.62 €25.46

58.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$76.3 €65.6

35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$79.9 €68.7

55.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$1,334 €1,147

25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$1,111 €955

14.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,715 €1,474

74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,735 €1,492

14.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$4,341 €3,732

80.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$3,244 €2,789

43.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,372 €1,180

15.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

2.9

30.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rabat: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $1,334 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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 $52.0 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $274 per month, with Rabat 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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rabat differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,929 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $1,334 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,929 in Rabat – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,929 in Rabat versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rabat but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rabat 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 Rabat 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 Rabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.