Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vacoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vacoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $724 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,107 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,490 in Vacoas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 216% more expensive than in Vacoas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Vacoas is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.58 MUR 309

146.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$32.98 MUR 1,549

92.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.98 MUR 234

107.23%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.58 MUR 121

9.69%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.97 MUR 45.62

136.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.60 MUR 28.02

163.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.26 MUR 106

50.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.99 MUR 93.6

102.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.34 MUR 62.9

-18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.66 MUR 30.80

165.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.26 MUR 59.3

39.68%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.10 MUR 98.6

50.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$2.83 MUR 133

366.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.92 MUR 137

172.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$5.44 MUR 255

185.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.99 MUR 93.5

19.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.01 MUR 94.5

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.45 MUR 68.2

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.72 MUR 128

-10.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.98 MUR 46.24

79.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.01 MUR 47.23

100.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.80 MUR 37.62

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.75 MUR 35.29

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.80 MUR 272

13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.48 MUR 304

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.46 MUR 68.7

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.22 MUR 104

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.94 MUR 44.35

142.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.30 MUR 202

-1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.66 MUR 125

-69.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$4.53 MUR 213

307.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.40 MUR 65.8

48.57%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$26.9K MUR 1.3M

28.90%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

38.55%

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

$148 €130

$49.42 MUR 2,322

199.58%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$11.04 MUR 519

85.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$25.44 MUR 1,195

55.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$26.11 MUR 1,227

83.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$5.46 MUR 256

68.86%

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

$616 €539

$157 MUR 7,378

292.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,037 MUR 189.6K

307.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$29.83 MUR 1,402

244.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$28.57 MUR 1,342

46.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$66.6 MUR 3,130

42.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$59.5 MUR 2,793

105.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$262 MUR 12.3K

523.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$235 MUR 11.0K

424.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$520 MUR 24.4K

495.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$326 MUR 15.3K

523.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$697 MUR 32.7K

130.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.25

-10.35%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $262 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 131% 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 $33.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $156 per month, with Vacoas 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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Vacoas differ by about 216% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $724 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $262 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $724 in Vacoas – a 216% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $724 in Vacoas versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vacoas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vacoas 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 Vacoas 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 Vacoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 216% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.