Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zabbar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabbar: $1,820 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Zabbar
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Zabbar Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Zabbar

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Zabbar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Zabbar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,820 in Zabbar.

Lisbon $2,210
Zabbar $1,820

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,669 in Zabbar.

Lisbon $3,275
Zabbar $2,669

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,517 in Zabbar.

Lisbon $4,341
Zabbar $3,517

Living in Lisbon is roughly 21% more expensive than in Zabbar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Zabbar 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$16.92 €15.20

-1.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$38.62 €34.69

59.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$7.71 €6.93

47.34%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$2.68 €2.41

10.82%

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

$2.29 €2.06

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.65 €0.58

167.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$2.22 €1.99

53.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.42 €3.97

-25.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.10 €0.99

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$0.58 €0.52

229.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.09 €0.98

38.53%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$3.99 €3.58

0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$5.50 €4.94

135.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$4.44 €3.99

75.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$10.17 €9.13

74.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$4.16 €3.74

-44.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.82 €2.53

-38.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$3.65 €3.28

-49.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$3.37 €3.03

-23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$2.30 €2.07

-20.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.86 €1.67

5.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.27 €2.04

-35.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.15 €1.04

-37.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$7.93 €7.13

-29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.62 €1.46

-16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.34 €2.11

-8.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$2.52 €2.27

-7.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$16.80 €15.09

165.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$4.80 €4.31

-19.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.26 €2.03

-52.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$26.39 €23.70

-37.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.49 €1.34

47.65%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$38.1K €34.3K

-10.35%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$38.2K €34.4K

1.27%

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

$161 €145

$104 €93.6

54.74%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$24.98 €22.44

-26.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$43.67 €39.23

-25.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$64.9 €58.3

-31.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$11.35 €10.19

68.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$10.22 €9.18

-6.07%

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

$668 €600

$373 €335

78.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$2,245 €2,017

684.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$88.1 €79.2

15.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$41.17 €36.98

7.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$98.8 €88.7

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$78.2 €70.3

58.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$1,147 €1,030

40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$921 €827

29.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$1,795 €1,613

56.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$1,528 €1,372

31.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$4,048 €3,636

93.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$4,152 €3,730

10.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$1,095 €984

43.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

2.9

32.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zabbar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Zabbar

$921 50.6% 22.6% $269

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Zabbar

$238 13.1% 12.8% $35

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Zabbar

$222 12.2% 8.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Zabbar

$173 9.5% 18.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Zabbar

$138 7.6% 16.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Zabbar

$85 4.7% 34% $22

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Zabbar

$43 2.4% 31.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,147 in Zabbar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $39 in Zabbar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $238 per month, with Zabbar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇲🇹 Zabbar

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

15,404

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Zabbar 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,820 in Zabbar, so Zabbar is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,147 in Zabbar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $373 in Zabbar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Zabbar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Zabbar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.