Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swieqi

For one person, living is cheaper in Swieqi: $2,082 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Swieqi
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Swieqi Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Swieqi

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Swieqi

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 Swieqi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,082 in Swieqi.

Lisbon $2,210
Swieqi $2,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,327 in Swieqi.

Lisbon $3,275
Swieqi $3,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,571 in Swieqi.

Lisbon $4,341
Swieqi $4,571

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Swieqi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Swieqi 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.85

$16.71 €14.91

-0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.1

$68.1 €60.8

-9.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.13

$10.94 €9.76

3.84%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.65

$3.19 €2.85

-6.90%

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

$2.29 €2.04

$2.33 €2.08

-1.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.82 €1.62

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.04

$3.64 €3.25

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.95

$4.44 €3.96

-25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.36 €1.21

-14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.45 €1.29

31.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$3.59 €3.20

-57.94%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.59

$3.19 €2.85

26.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.54

$8.53 €7.61

51.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.94

$9.92 €8.85

-21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.85

$18.11 €16.15

-1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.86 €3.44

-40.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.26 €2.02

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.87 €2.56

-35.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$3.74 €3.34

-30.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.95 €1.74

-6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.45 €2.19

-19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.81 €1.61

-18.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.89 €0.79

-19.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.87

$6.35 €5.66

3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.00

$6.04 €5.39

-7.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.47 €2.20

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.32 €2.07

-7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.22 €1.98

4.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €39.86

$14.72 €13.14

203.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.43

$3.99 €3.56

-3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.77 €1.58

-39.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.69

$33.28 €29.69

-50.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.46 €1.30

50.68%

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

$34.2K €30.5K

$28.5K €25.4K

20.08%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$39.0K €34.8K

-0.68%

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

$161 €144

$121 €108

33.15%

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

$18.41 €16.43

$22.20 €19.81

-17.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.21

$29.85 €26.63

9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.74

$66.6 €59.4

-33.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.04

$16.07 €14.34

18.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.56

$8.98 €8.01

6.90%

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

$668 €596

$221 €197

202.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$12.3K €11.0K

42.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$56.7 €50.6

80.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.67

$55.1 €49.18

-19.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.9

$112 €99.7

-11.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$128 €114

-3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,435

$1,259 €1,123

27.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,062

$1,076 €960

10.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,509

$3,105 €2,770

-9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,796

$2,199 €1,962

-8.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €6,994

$3,969 €3,541

97.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,082

$2,882 €2,571

58.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,405

$1,397 €1,246

12.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.01

-3.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Swieqi

$1.1K 51.7% 9.6% $114

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Swieqi

$305 14.7% 12.1% $33

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Swieqi

$249 11.9% 2.4% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Swieqi

$173 8.3% 18.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Swieqi

$158 7.6% 4.7% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Swieqi

$85 4.1% 32.6% $21

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Swieqi

$36 1.8% 42.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,259 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $68 in Swieqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $305 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇲🇹 Swieqi

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

00:05 12:05 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

14,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Swieqi 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Swieqi

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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,082 in Swieqi, so Swieqi is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,259 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $221 in Swieqi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Swieqi 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 Swieqi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Swieqi wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.