Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zabbar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zabbar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,880 in Zabbar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,750 in Zabbar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,621 in Zabbar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 21% more expensive than in Zabbar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Zabbar 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$17.14 €14.78

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$40.91 €35.26

57.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.91 €6.82

47.28%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.75 €2.37

18.55%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.36 €2.04

5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.69 €0.59

142.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.26 €1.94

53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.72 €4.07

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.19 €1.02

-0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.56 €0.49

248.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.13 €0.98

38.05%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.25 €3.67

-5.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.97 €5.15

122.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.70 €4.05

79.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.47 €9.03

74.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$4.33 €3.73

-46.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.90 €2.50

-40.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.64 €3.14

-46.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.59 €3.10

-26.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.52 €2.17

-24.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.06 €1.78

2.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.30 €1.98

-37.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.18 €1.02

-32.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$7.03 €6.06

-0.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.34 €7.19

-29.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.78 €1.53

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.50 €2.15

-14.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.57 €2.21

-7.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$17.77 €15.32

160.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.65 €4.87

-25.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.28 €1.97

-51.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$27.45 €23.66

-37.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.54 €1.33

46.10%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$39.7K €34.2K

-13.21%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$40.7K €35.1K

2.20%

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

$171 €147

$106 €91.4

61.13%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$26.70 €23.02

-28.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$43.90 €37.85

-21.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$65.5 €56.5

-24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$11.80 €10.17

65.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.43 €8.99

-3.16%

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

$699 €603

$388 €334

80.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,301 €1,984

672.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$92.1 €79.4

13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$42.94 €37.02

11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$104 €89.8

-2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$81.8 €70.5

56.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$1,165 €1,004

42.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$977 €842

25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,867 €1,609

56.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,548 €1,335

30.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,235 €3,651

91.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$4,279 €3,689

8.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,182 €1,019

36.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.9

30.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Zabbar: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $1,165 in Zabbar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 37% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $41.00 in Zabbar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $249 per month, with Zabbar 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 Zabbar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zabbar differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,880 including rent). Zabbar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $1,165 in Zabbar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $388 in Zabbar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,880 in Zabbar versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zabbar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zabbar 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 Zabbar 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 Zabbar 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.