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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $874 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,498 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,123 in Rabat.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 163% more expensive than in Rabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Rabat is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$4.30 MAD 40.80

309.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$41.91 MAD 397

49.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.41 MAD 70.3

56.28%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.89 MAD 17.95

64.02%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.63 MAD 5.96

295.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.34 MAD 3.26

411.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.27 MAD 49.94

-33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.13 MAD 29.70

9.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.89 MAD 8.46

29.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.63 MAD 5.94

203.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.85 MAD 17.54

-18.92%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.88 MAD 17.87

111.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$11.37 MAD 108

16.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.61 MAD 62.6

21.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$12.29 MAD 117

46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.62 MAD 15.37

45.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.38 MAD 13.11

26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.91 MAD 8.61

103.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.88 MAD 8.31

189.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.75 MAD 7.07

145.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.75 MAD 7.12

180.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.39 MAD 3.66

282.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.64 MAD 6.03

28.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.24 MAD 40.23

67.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.77 MAD 73.7

-23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.63 MAD 24.99

-50.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.66 MAD 25.25

-19.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.55 MAD 5.24

329.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$26.39 MAD 250

76.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.76 MAD 7.19

436.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.92 MAD 8.70

23.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$4.15 MAD 39.37

311.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.57 MAD 14.84

47.13%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$35.0K MAD 331.5K

-2.37%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$32.4K MAD 307.1K

27.79%

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

$169 €147

$36.10 MAD 342

366.90%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$10.38 MAD 98.5

86.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$33.47 MAD 317

0.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$30.19 MAD 286

61.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$27.93 MAD 265

-30.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$6.18 MAD 58.6

54.85%

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

$696 €607

$185 MAD 1,753

276.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,130 MAD 67.6K

143.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$49.66 MAD 471

112.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$44.43 MAD 421

7.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$92.8 MAD 880

8.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$68.0 MAD 645

82.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$508 MAD 4,818

227.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$284 MAD 2,692

338.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,109 MAD 10.5K

167.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$673 MAD 6,383

204.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,000 MAD 19.0K

291.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,155 MAD 11.0K

286.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$728 MAD 6,899

124.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.52

-16.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Rabat: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $508 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 124% 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 $42.00 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $206 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $874 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 124% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $508 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $185 in Rabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $874 in Rabat versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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 163% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.