Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sliema Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sliema

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,477 in Sliema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $3,930 in Sliema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $5,384 in Sliema.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 6% less than in Sliema, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Sliema 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.92

$19.96 €17.22

-13.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$89.6 €77.2

-29.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$13.89 €11.98

-18.00%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.76 €2.38

15.58%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$3.22 €2.78

-23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.30 €1.98

-23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$4.65 €4.01

-22.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$5.29 €4.56

-35.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.43 €1.23

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.36 €1.17

45.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$4.54 €3.91

-66.52%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$4.36 €3.76

-7.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$8.74 €7.54

54.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.23

$10.95 €9.44

-23.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.74

$18.77 €16.19

-2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$4.37 €3.77

-47.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.88 €2.49

-39.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.78 €3.26

-50.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$3.44 €2.97

-23.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.52 €2.17

-23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.13 €1.84

-1.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.36 €2.04

-38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.36 €1.17

-38.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$7.15 €6.17

-5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$8.58 €7.40

-33.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.83 €1.58

-24.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.42 €2.09

-8.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.29 €1.97

4.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

$140 €121

-66.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$5.87 €5.06

-28.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.37 €2.05

-51.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

$27.49 €23.71

-35.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.52 €1.31

52.63%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$39.5K €34.1K

-10.50%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$39.9K €34.4K

3.89%

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

$170 €147

$108 €92.9

58.12%

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

$19.34 €16.68

$26.58 €22.93

-27.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.01

$44.33 €38.24

-24.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.48

$77.2 €66.5

-37.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

$16.55 €14.28

20.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$10.43 €8.99

-4.89%

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

$717 €619

$374 €322

91.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$11.4K €9,841

53.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$90.1 €77.7

16.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.49

$42.70 €36.83

9.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$102 €88.0

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$81.9 €70.7

51.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,446

$1,783 €1,538

-5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,096

$1,287 €1,110

-1.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,574

$3,086 €2,661

-3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,718

$2,460 €2,122

-19.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,750

$5,642 €4,866

38.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,017

$3,730 €3,217

24.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,365

$1,902 €1,640

-16.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

2.9

30.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sliema: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $1,783 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 20% 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 $90.0 in Sliema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $341 per month, with Lisbon 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 Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sliema differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,477 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Sliema. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $1,783 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $374 in Sliema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Sliema. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Sliema 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.