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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $758 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,100 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,443 in Vacoas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 203% more expensive than in Vacoas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Vacoas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$5.91 MUR 279

197.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$32.39 MUR 1,527

94.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.45 MUR 304

79.53%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.68 MUR 126

15.67%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.17 MUR 55.4

112.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.62 MUR 29.09

180.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.68 MUR 126

29.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.92 MUR 185

-12.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.46 MUR 69.0

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.69 MUR 32.44

176.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.12 MUR 52.7

33.93%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.23 MUR 105

78.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$2.71 MUR 128

390.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$2.50 MUR 118

220.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$11.15 MUR 526

61.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.51 MUR 119

-6.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.28 MUR 107

-23.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.44 MUR 68.1

28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.98 MUR 141

-14.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.03 MUR 48.42

78.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.02 MUR 48.00

105.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.74 MUR 34.65

101.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.72 MUR 33.99

13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.22 MUR 293

14.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.31 MUR 297

-6.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.44 MUR 68.0

-9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.39 MUR 112

-10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.29 MUR 60.8

82.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$4.18 MUR 197

-2.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.24 MUR 152

-64.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$4.31 MUR 203

296.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.32 MUR 62.3

75.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

14.97%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$31.5K MUR 1.5M

31.24%

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

$169 €147

$44.29 MUR 2,087

280.56%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$10.41 MUR 491

85.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$24.75 MUR 1,166

35.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$25.18 MUR 1,187

93.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.46 MUR 257

75.27%

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

$696 €607

$128 MUR 6,033

443.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,694 MUR 362.6K

125.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$32.18 MUR 1,517

227.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$38.77 MUR 1,827

23.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$63.7 MUR 3,002

57.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$46.98 MUR 2,214

164.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$263 MUR 12.4K

531.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$219 MUR 10.3K

470.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$472 MUR 22.2K

528.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$232 MUR 10.9K

781.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$700 MUR 33.0K

133.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.67

-43.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $263 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 133% 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 $32.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $177 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 203% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $758 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 133% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $263 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $758 in Vacoas – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $758 in Vacoas versus $2,296 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 203% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.