For one person, living is cheaper in Safi: $588 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Safi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $588 in Safi.
Lisbon $2,210
Safi $588
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $904 in Safi.
Lisbon $3,275
Safi $904
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,221 in Safi.
Lisbon $4,341
Safi $1,221
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 276% more expensive than in Safi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Safi is 57% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.91
$3.13MAD 30.76
431.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.3
$18.10MAD 178
241.10%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.17
$6.06MAD 59.6
87.46%
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.66
$1.49MAD 14.68
99.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.05
$0.46MAD 4.51
397.83%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.56
$0.34MAD 3.30
411.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.05
$1.58MAD 15.49
115.19%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.96
$1.50MAD 14.77
120.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.04
$0.82MAD 8.08
41.46%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.71
$0.49MAD 4.84
289.80%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.35
$1.58MAD 15.54
-4.43%
Eggs
$4.02€3.60
$1.66MAD 16.31
142.17%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.59
$6.63MAD 65.2
95.17%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.96
$6.71MAD 65.9
15.80%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.91
$8.50MAD 83.6
108.94%
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.06
$1.16MAD 11.43
98.28%
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
$1.14MAD 11.24
51.75%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
$0.76MAD 7.45
144.74%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.32
$0.71MAD 6.96
264.79%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$0.60MAD 5.86
203.33%
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.76
$0.77MAD 7.61
155.84%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.32
$0.39MAD 3.85
276.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$0.61MAD 5.98
18.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.90
$3.68MAD 36.14
78.80%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.61€5.02
$7.57MAD 74.4
-25.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.22
$1.90MAD 18.67
-28.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$1.80MAD 17.71
18.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.09
$0.45MAD 4.41
417.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€40.01
$10.21MAD 100
337.61%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.45
$0.68MAD 6.64
466.18%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.96
$0.49MAD 4.79
118.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.74
$5.95MAD 58.5
176.64%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.97
$1.49MAD 14.63
47.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.6K
$30.8KMAD 302.4K
11.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.7K
$32.5KMAD 319.4K
19.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€144
$35.26MAD 347
357.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.49
$10.00MAD 98.3
84.10%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.32
$34.24MAD 337
-4.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€39.90
$18.60MAD 183
139.52%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.10
$5.14MAD 50.6
271.60%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.60
$3.58MAD 35.24
168.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€598
$96.0MAD 943
595.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.8K
$3,608MAD 35.5K
388.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$38.78MAD 381
163.07%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.82
$32.65MAD 321
36.17%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€88.2
$92.6MAD 910
6.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
$35.25MAD 347
250.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,440
$278MAD 2,734
478.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,066
$138MAD 1,355
763.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,519
$464MAD 4,557
506.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,803
$234MAD 2,300
760.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€7,021
$884MAD 8,687
787.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,098
$551MAD 5,413
730.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Safi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,411
$445MAD 4,374
253.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
4.55
-15.38%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Safi: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Safi
$138 23.5% ↓ 88.4%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Safi
$165 28% ↓ 39.5%$108
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Safi
$75 12.8% ↓ 69%$167
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Safi
$80 13.5% ↓ 62.6%$133
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Safi
$90 15.3% ↓ 45.9%$76
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Safi
$26 4.4% ↓ 59.6%$38
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Safi
$15 2.6% ↓ 76.1%$48
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Safi
$234 19.2% ↓ 88.4%$1.8K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Safi
$374 30.6% ↓ 42.4%$276
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Safi
$236 19.4% ↓ 70.5%$565
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Safi
$90 7.3% ↓ 61.2%$141
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Safi
$199 16.3% ↓ 45.9%$169
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Safi
$57 4.6% ↓ 61.3%$90
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Safi
$31 2.6% ↓ 76.3%$100
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $278 in Safi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 3.5 times 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $18 in Safi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $165 per month, with Safi cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Safi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $588 in Safi, so Safi is about 73% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Safi?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Safi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $278 in Safi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Safi?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $96 in Safi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $588 in Safi versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Safi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Safi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Safi?
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.
Is Lisbon or Safi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Safi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Safi?
Expats usually find Safi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.