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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $737 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,124 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,511 in Vacoas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 200% more expensive than Vacoas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Vacoas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$6.45 MUR 305

146.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$32.98 MUR 1,560

96.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.94 MUR 234

112.75%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.57 MUR 122

11.67%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.96 MUR 45.29

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.56 MUR 26.64

167.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.17 MUR 103

60.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.00 MUR 94.9

94.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.28 MUR 60.4

-10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.71 MUR 33.75

146.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.29 MUR 60.9

36.43%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.18 MUR 103

47.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$2.67 MUR 126

405.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.01 MUR 142

162.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$5.52 MUR 261

187.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.99 MUR 94.0

16.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.03 MUR 96.3

-16.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.44 MUR 68.0

39.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.74 MUR 130

-10.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.03 MUR 48.50

78.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.01 MUR 48.01

98.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.79 MUR 37.31

144.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 MUR 33.55

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$5.67 MUR 268

16.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.31 MUR 299

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.44 MUR 68.0

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.18 MUR 103

36.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.01 MUR 47.96

134.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.47 MUR 212

-4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.63 MUR 124

-68.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$4.32 MUR 204

323.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.41 MUR 66.9

46.10%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.7K MUR 1.3M

28.59%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

34.49%

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

$148 €127

$49.62 MUR 2,348

198.00%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$10.89 MUR 515

88.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$25.99 MUR 1,230

52.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$26.80 MUR 1,268

78.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.49 MUR 260

67.21%

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

$614 €529

$155 MUR 7,353

295.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,977 MUR 188.2K

303.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$29.28 MUR 1,386

257.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$29.55 MUR 1,399

42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$65.7 MUR 3,108

43.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$59.8 MUR 2,830

100.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$266 MUR 12.6K

511.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$238 MUR 11.2K

428.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$506 MUR 23.9K

499.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$320 MUR 15.2K

530.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$700 MUR 33.1K

129.07%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $266 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 129% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 200% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $737 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 129% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $266 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $737 in Vacoas – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $737 in Vacoas versus $2,210 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 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.