Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rueil-Malmaison Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rueil-Malmaison

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $2,152 in Rueil-Malmaison.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,927 in Rueil-Malmaison.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,703 in Rueil-Malmaison.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 4% more expensive than Rueil-Malmaison, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Rueil-Malmaison 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$20.06 €17.11

-21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$48.15 €41.07

31.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$11.69 €9.97

-11.72%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.36 €2.87

-16.37%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.72 €2.32

-14.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.80 €1.53

-16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$6.82 €5.82

-50.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.92 €5.05

-33.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.26 €1.07

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.79 €1.53

-2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.63 €2.25

-33.46%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.08 €3.48

-24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$19.29 €16.46

-31.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$13.50 €11.52

-41.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$20.88 €17.81

-23.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.02 €2.57

-20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.21 €1.88

-22.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.67 €2.28

-26.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$3.62 €3.09

-29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.17 €1.86

-17.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.59 €2.21

-23.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.52 €1.30

28.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.66 €0.56

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$13.65 €11.64

-50.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.62 €6.50

-23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.62 €2.23

-47.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$3.34 €2.85

-12.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.92 €1.64

19.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$49.81 €42.49

-5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$4.58 €3.91

-10.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.67 €1.42

-51.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$36.33 €30.99

-47.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.06 €1.76

1.46%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$37.3K €31.8K

-5.80%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$37.9K €32.3K

4.82%

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

$150 €128

$197 €168

-24.09%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$23.32 €19.89

-12.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$32.59 €27.80

20.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$37.11 €31.65

33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$18.26 €15.57

1.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$14.17 €12.08

-35.07%

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

$624 €533

$771 €658

-19.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$8,603 €7,339

84.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$104 €88.7

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$39.30 €33.53

4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$89.3 €76.2

7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$140 €120

-13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$1,075 €917

53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$898 €766

37.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$1,377 €1,175

121.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$1,105 €942

86.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$6,917 €5,900

13.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$3,070 €2,618

40.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$3,358 €2,865

-53.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.63

4.96%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Rueil-Malmaison: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $1,075 in Rueil-Malmaison. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rueil-Malmaison pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $48 in Rueil-Malmaison. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $363, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rueil-Malmaison: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rueil-Malmaison differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $2,152 including rent). Rueil-Malmaison is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rueil-Malmaison earns 114% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $1,075 in Rueil-Malmaison. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $771 in Rueil-Malmaison. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,152 in Rueil-Malmaison versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rueil-Malmaison but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rueil-Malmaison 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 Rueil-Malmaison 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 Rueil-Malmaison gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.