Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zawiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zawiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $410 in Zawiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $688 in Zawiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $965 in Zawiya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 439% more expensive than Zawiya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Zawiya is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$2.80 LYD 17.78

468.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$18.48 LYD 118

250.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$3.63 LYD 23.10

189.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.30

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$0.49 LYD 3.10

485.71%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.49 LYD 3.12

357.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.12 LYD 0.75

1150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.03 LYD 6.55

10.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.23 LYD 1.46

660.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.24 LYD 7.86

41.94%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.23 LYD 7.85

161.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$5.02 LYD 31.94

168.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.27 LYD 20.81

141.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$10.09 LYD 64.2

57.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.06 LYD 13.11

12.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.27 LYD 8.09

33.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.83 LYD 5.25

142.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.55 LYD 3.52

347.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.58 LYD 3.66

217.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.31 LYD 1.97

545.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.38 LYD 2.43

407.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.17 LYD 1.07

364.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 LYD 4.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$1.84 LYD 11.73

259.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.93 LYD 5.92

154.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$46.59 LYD 296

-2.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.96 LYD 6.11

346.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.89 LYD 5.67

-7.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.74 LYD 17.42

567.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.03 LYD 0.18

6766.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$13.7K LYD 87.4K

149.39%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$16.2K LYD 103.1K

142.47%

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

$148 €127

$32.55 LYD 207

354.29%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$6.52 LYD 41.44

214.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$14.02 LYD 89.2

182.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$20.08 LYD 128

138.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$4.48 LYD 28.49

322.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.55 LYD 28.93

101.76%

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

$614 €529

$53.1 LYD 337

1056.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$908 LYD 5,772

1668.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$21.60 LYD 137

384.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$34.94 LYD 222

20.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$31.97 LYD 203

193.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$36.00 LYD 229

232.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$107 LYD 679

1423.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$69.1 LYD 440

1715.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$201 LYD 1,280

1405.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$136 LYD 863

1388.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$470 LYD 2,988

1559.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$38.66 LYD 246

10951.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$260 LYD 1,653

516.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

17.5

-78.23%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $107 in Zawiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 517% 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 $18.00 in Zawiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $114 per month, with Zawiya 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 Zawiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zawiya differ by about 439% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $410 including rent). Zawiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 517% 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 $107 in Zawiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $53.1 in Zawiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 136% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $410 in Zawiya versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zawiya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zawiya 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 Zawiya 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 Zawiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 439% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.