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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,187 in Sliema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,413 in Sliema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,638 in Sliema.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1% more expensive than Sliema, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Sliema 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$21.22 €18.25

-25.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$95.5 €82.2

-32.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$11.79 €10.14

-10.86%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.99 €2.57

-25.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.23 €1.92

-32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$4.58 €3.94

-23.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.64 €3.99

-16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.40 €1.20

-18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.23 €1.06

42.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.17 €3.59

-57.79%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.48 €3.85

-28.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.27 €8.83

31.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.13 €7.85

-13.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$18.94 €16.29

-16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.46 €3.83

-48.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$3.13 €2.69

-45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.21 €2.76

-37.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.65 €3.14

-32.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.48 €2.13

-25.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.36 €1.17

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.44 €2.10

-20.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.25 €1.08

-36.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.34 €5.45

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.49 €7.30

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.92 €1.65

-28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.35 €2.02

26.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.93 €2.52

-19.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.66 €4.87

-24.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$4.13 €3.55

-80.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$49.29 €42.40

-62.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.57 €1.35

31.21%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.3K €32.9K

-10.41%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$38.1K €32.8K

3.00%

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

$148 €127

$93.9 €80.8

57.53%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$28.53 €24.54

-28.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$45.78 €39.38

-13.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$67.9 €58.5

-29.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$23.05 €19.83

-17.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$10.37 €8.92

-11.48%

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

$614 €528

$782 €672

-21.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.1K €9,548

44.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$91.4 €78.6

14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$38.23 €32.88

10.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$101 €87.2

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$102 €88.1

16.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,419 €1,221

14.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,122 €965

11.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,453 €2,110

23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,943 €1,672

3.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$5,563 €4,785

40.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$3,693 €3,177

15.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,913 €1,646

-16.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.08

-25.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sliema: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,419 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $96.0 in Sliema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $333 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,187 including rent). Sliema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sliema earns 19% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,419 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,187 in Sliema – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,187 in Sliema versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sliema but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sliema 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 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 Sliema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.