Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taipa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Taipa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,830 in Taipa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,886 in Taipa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,941 in Taipa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 21% more expensive than Taipa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Taipa 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.09 MOP 49.12

161.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$49.44 MOP 399

31.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.16 MOP 49.72

70.62%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.66 MOP 37.61

-38.41%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.77 MOP 6.25

190.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.35 MOP 2.85

328.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$5.90 MOP 47.66

-40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$7.02 MOP 56.6

-44.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.33 MOP 10.76

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.54 MOP 12.39

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.46 MOP 11.77

20.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.94 MOP 15.69

65.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$17.61 MOP 142

-23.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.66 MOP 61.8

3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$23.26 MOP 188

-31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.88 MOP 31.33

-40.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$3.11 MOP 25.07

-45.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.88 MOP 31.33

-48.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.96 MOP 15.82

25.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$4.44 MOP 35.83

-58.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.52 MOP 28.38

-43.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.65 MOP 13.31

16.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.09 MOP 8.77

-27.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.36 MOP 51.3

3.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.37 MOP 11.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.01 MOP 16.25

47.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.56 MOP 20.66

67.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.18 MOP 9.54

-30.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$15.10 MOP 122

21.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.80 MOP 14.51

14.44%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$31.5K MOP 254.0K

8.92%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.4K MOP 221.3K

43.33%

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

$148 €127

$56.9 MOP 460

159.69%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$25.50 MOP 206

-19.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$26.36 MOP 213

50.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$73.8 MOP 595

-35.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$3.75 MOP 30.24

404.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$12.42 MOP 100

-26.09%

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

$614 €528

$676 MOP 5,456

-9.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.2K MOP 106.2K

21.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$63.9 MOP 516

63.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$28.47 MOP 230

47.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$88.4 MOP 714

6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$104 MOP 836

15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,222 MOP 9,861

33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$996 MOP 8,038

26.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,039 MOP 16.5K

48.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,904 MOP 15.4K

6.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$16.3K MOP 131.2K

-52.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$13.3K MOP 107.4K

-67.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

27.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taipa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,222 in Taipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Taipa. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $317, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Taipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Taipa differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,830 including rent). Taipa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,746 in Taipa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,222 in Taipa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 18% 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 $1,830 in Taipa – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,830 in Taipa versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Taipa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Taipa 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 Taipa 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 Taipa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.