Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,265 in Madrid versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,314 in Madrid versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,362 in Madrid versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Madrid is roughly 1% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 €14.77

$15.73 €13.36

10.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.1

$63.2 €53.6

8.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 €9.90

$10.32 €8.76

12.98%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.62

$2.81 €2.39

9.96%

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

$3.06 €2.60

$2.33 €1.98

31.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.88

$1.51 €1.28

46.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.40

$3.37 €2.86

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.91 €3.32

15.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.02

$1.08 €0.92

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.42

$1.75 €1.49

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.46

$1.75 €1.49

-1.71%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.88

$3.10 €2.63

9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.76

$13.28 €11.27

13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 €7.45

$7.85 €6.66

11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.59

$16.05 €13.63

7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.24

$2.39 €2.03

10.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.82

$1.72 €1.46

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.16

$1.97 €1.67

29.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.34

$2.55 €2.16

8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.79 €1.52

18.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.81

$1.97 €1.68

8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.17

$1.96 €1.67

-29.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.82

$0.84 €0.71

15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.04

$6.82 €5.79

4.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 €6.88

$5.85 €4.97

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.83

$2.92 €2.48

-26.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.43

$2.29 €1.94

-26.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.75 €41.39

$46.88 €39.80

3.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.53

$4.12 €3.50

0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.12

$0.81 €0.69

62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.53 €24.22

$18.94 €16.08

50.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.63

$2.09 €1.77

-8.13%

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

$37.8K €32.1K

$35.1K €29.8K

7.77%

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

$33.3K €28.2K

$39.7K €33.7K

-16.23%

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

$188 €160

$150 €127

25.96%

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

$21.76 €18.48

$20.49 €17.40

6.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.31 €29.98

$39.15 €33.24

-9.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €44.84

$49.65 €42.15

6.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.37

$18.47 €15.69

-2.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 €9.84

$9.20 €7.81

26.09%

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

$677 €575

$624 €530

8.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.3K

$15.9K €13.5K

-23.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 €80.5

$102 €86.7

-7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 €35.64

$40.88 €34.71

2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.6

$95.7 €81.2

9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €115

$121 €103

11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 €1,339

$1,653 €1,403

-4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €946

$1,233 €1,047

-9.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,765 €2,348

$3,043 €2,584

-9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,596

$2,059 €1,748

-8.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,202 €7,813

$7,879 €6,689

16.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,488 €3,811

$4,303 €3,654

4.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,586 €2,195

$1,566 €1,330

65.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.81

-9.97%

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

Last update for Madrid: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Madrid and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 65% 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: $68 in Madrid vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $270 per month, with Lisbon 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

Madrid vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and Lisbon differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,265 vs $2,243 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Madrid pays 65% 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: $1,578 in Madrid versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $677 in Madrid versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,243 in Lisbon versus $2,265 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Madrid and Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.