Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sale Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $792 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,682 in Sale.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 181% more expensive than Sale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Sale is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$4.58 MAD 42.37

253.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$32.93 MAD 305

96.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.61 MAD 61.2

57.03%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.06 MAD 19.08

34.47%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.63 MAD 5.85

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.40 MAD 3.70

292.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$5.42 MAD 50.1

-35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$4.14 MAD 38.30

-3.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.96 MAD 8.91

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.55 MAD 5.06

216.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.95 MAD 18.06

-10.77%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.99 MAD 18.39

59.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$13.02 MAD 120

3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.00 MAD 55.5

33.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.69 MAD 108

37.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.50 MAD 13.90

52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.34 MAD 12.44

28.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.90 MAD 8.33

115.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.85 MAD 7.82

198.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.80 MAD 7.37

128.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.79 MAD 7.31

158.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.43 MAD 3.94

360.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.64 MAD 5.91

32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.36 MAD 40.30

57.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.13 MAD 66.0

-18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.61 MAD 24.15

-47.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.55 MAD 23.55

13.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.56 MAD 5.21

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$24.44 MAD 226

91.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.53 MAD 4.88

669.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.52 MAD 4.81

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$4.47 MAD 41.37

308.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.60 MAD 14.76

25.62%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$37.2K MAD 344.1K

-5.20%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$29.9K MAD 277.0K

28.52%

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

$145 €124

$33.03 MAD 305

340.21%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$10.91 MAD 101

92.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$45.43 MAD 420

-11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$14.25 MAD 132

242.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$23.67 MAD 219

-21.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.48 MAD 59.9

39.81%

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

$607 €519

$112 MAD 1,037

440.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,300 MAD 58.3K

159.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$42.36 MAD 392

147.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$49.69 MAD 460

-17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$107 MAD 987

-12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$100 MAD 927

18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$283 MAD 2,620

466.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$175 MAD 1,617

606.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$501 MAD 4,631

508.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$303 MAD 2,805

578.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,201 MAD 11.1K

541.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$852 MAD 7,882

400.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$410 MAD 3,792

286.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.81

-20.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sale: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $283 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 286% 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 $33.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $204 per month, with Sale 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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sale differ by about 181% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $792 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 286% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $283 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $112 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $792 in Sale versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sale 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 Sale 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.