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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,883 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,839 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,796 in Rabat.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 17% more expensive than Rabat, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Rabat 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$17.07 €14.69

-6.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$70.7 €60.9

-8.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.36 €9.78

-7.48%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.45 €2.11

17.14%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.66 €2.29

-15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.69 €1.45

-11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.51 €3.02

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.39 €2.92

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.15 €0.99

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.28 €1.11

36.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.36 €2.03

-25.42%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.68 €3.17

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.22 €8.80

32.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.32 €7.17

-4.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$18.92 €16.29

-16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.31 €3.71

-46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.35 €2.02

-27.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.27 €2.82

-38.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.26 €1.95

8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.19 €1.02

54.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.19 €1.03

68.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.18 €1.02

63.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.19 €1.02

-33.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.53 €5.62

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.44 €7.27

-32.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.88 €1.62

-27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.30 €1.98

29.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.81 €2.42

-15.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.67 €4.89

-24.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$4.19 €3.61

-80.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$49.43 €42.57

-62.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.52 €1.31

35.53%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.2K €32.9K

-10.21%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$37.4K €32.2K

5.12%

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

$148 €127

$94.2 €81.1

56.97%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$12.60 €10.85

62.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$45.84 €39.47

-13.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$69.3 €59.7

-30.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$34.35 €29.58

-44.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$10.56 €9.09

-13.07%

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

$614 €529

$435 €375

41.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.1K €9,574

44.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$90.1 €77.6

16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$28.48 €24.53

47.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$74.0 €63.7

27.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$103 €88.4

16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,129 €972

44.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$956 €823

31.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,011 €1,732

50.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,509 €1,299

33.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,371 €3,764

78.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,116 €2,683

37.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,387 €1,194

15.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.2

19.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rabat: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,129 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 16% 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 $71.0 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $293 per month, with Lisbon 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 17% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,883 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 16% 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 $1,129 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,883 in Rabat – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,883 in Rabat versus $2,210 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 17% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.