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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $666 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,088 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $1,510 in Sale.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 248% more expensive than in Sale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sale is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$3.69 MAD 34.11

363.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$19.17 MAD 177

234.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$7.56 MAD 69.9

54.89%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$1.87 MAD 17.28

67.91%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$0.69 MAD 6.34

263.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.37 MAD 3.37

348.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.73 MAD 25.22

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$3.15 MAD 29.06

6.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$0.92 MAD 8.50

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.66 MAD 6.07

206.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$2.04 MAD 18.86

-22.55%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.01 MAD 18.53

101.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$11.66 MAD 108

9.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$6.82 MAD 63.0

17.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$12.89 MAD 119

32.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.49 MAD 13.72

59.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.28 MAD 11.83

42.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.92 MAD 8.50

116.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$0.93 MAD 8.62

187.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.71 MAD 6.52

167.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.82 MAD 7.58

140.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.46 MAD 4.24

210.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.65 MAD 5.98

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$4.04 MAD 37.27

68.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$4.75 MAD 43.87

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.28 MAD 21.03

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.27 MAD 20.94

-6.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.61 MAD 5.67

293.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$24.08 MAD 222

90.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$0.74 MAD 6.80

474.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.52 MAD 4.84

113.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$4.35 MAD 40.18

313.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.53 MAD 14.15

43.79%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$35.2K MAD 325.2K

-0.04%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$32.2K MAD 297.7K

24.20%

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

$171 €146

$39.17 MAD 362

336.81%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$10.90 MAD 101

79.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$43.56 MAD 402

-23.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$16.78 MAD 155

185.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$42.95 MAD 397

-53.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$5.49 MAD 50.8

84.34%

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

$700 €599

$108 MAD 999

547.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$6,156 MAD 56.9K

181.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$33.82 MAD 312

222.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$48.96 MAD 452

-2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$75.3 MAD 696

41.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$68.7 MAD 635

83.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$212 MAD 1,954

707.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$106 MAD 981

1090.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$374 MAD 3,457

694.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$266 MAD 2,454

652.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

563.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$866 MAD 7,998

422.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$542 MAD 5,002

207.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

-25.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Sale: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $212 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 207% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $202 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 248% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $666 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 207% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $212 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $108 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $666 in Sale versus $2,322 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 248% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.