Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahé and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahé: $1,773 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,773

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahé and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,773 in Mahé versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Mahé $1,773
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,601 in Mahé versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Mahé $2,601
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Mahé versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Mahé $3,429
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Mahé costs roughly 19% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mahé 31% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 SCR 255

$17.04 €15.15

3.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 SCR 1,546

$62.3 €55.4

70.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 SCR 83.2

$11.02 €9.80

-48.00%

Cappuccino

$6.59 SCR 95.7

$3.12 €2.78

111.22%

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

$1.65 SCR 24.00

$2.27 €2.02

-27.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.03 SCR 189

$3.42 €3.04

280.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 SCR 132

$3.74 €3.33

143.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 SCR 22.72

$1.17 €1.04

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 SCR 16.46

$1.86 €1.66

-39.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SCR 27.04

$1.54 €1.37

20.78%

Eggs

$4.11 SCR 59.7

$4.06 €3.61

1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 SCR 230

$12.91 €11.49

22.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.18 SCR 119

$7.90 €7.03

3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 SCR 183

$17.64 €15.69

-28.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 SCR 30.59

$2.26 €2.01

-6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 SCR 33.30

$1.89 €1.68

21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.54 SCR 95.0

$2.56 €2.27

155.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 SCR 15.82

$1.85 €1.64

-41.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 SCR 15.84

$1.97 €1.75

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 SCR 15.14

$1.45 €1.29

-28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.54 SCR 211

$6.71 €5.97

116.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SCR 31.96

$2.11 €1.88

4.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 SCR 10.83

$2.32 €2.07

-67.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.49 SCR 515

$44.43 €39.52

-20.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.42 SCR 210

$17.15 €15.26

-15.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 SCR 22.17

$2.19 €1.95

-30.14%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$50.0 SCR 727

$164 €146

-69.46%

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

$21.17 SCR 307

$18.48 €16.43

14.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 SCR 1,574

$32.96 €29.32

228.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 SCR 772

$45.87 €40.80

15.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 SCR 94.5

$9.75 €8.67

-33.33%

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.20 SCR 439

$104 €92.3

-70.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.25 SCR 178

$46.20 €41.09

-73.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.21 SCR 700

$99.7 €88.7

-51.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 SCR 889

$125 €111

-50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 SCR 12.4K

$1,589 €1,414

-46.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$850 SCR 12.3K

$1,169 €1,040

-27.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 SCR 25.5K

$2,851 €2,536

-38.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 SCR 15.7K

$1,993 €1,773

-45.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 SCR 12.4K

$1,600 €1,423

-46.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Mahé: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahé

$850 47.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 37.5% $319

Eating Out

Mahé

$327 * 18.4%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 24.3% $79

Groceries & Markets

Mahé

$244 * 13.7%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 12.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahé

$180 10.1%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 19.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Mahé

$68 3.9%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 147% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Mahé

$66 3.7%

Lisbon

$65 3% 1.2% $0.8

Getting Around

Mahé

$38 * 2.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 63.6% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $853 in Mahé and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 87% 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: $106 in Mahé vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $273, with Mahé cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇨 Mahé

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

04:17 4:17 AM

3 h behind Mahé

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,539

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 SCR = 6.88 USD

100 SCR = 6.12 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SCR – Seychellois Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇨 Seychellois Rupee (₨)

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 14.52 SCR (100 SCR = 6.88 USD). 1 EUR = 16.33 SCR (100 SCR = 6.12 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SCR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mahé Lisbon 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahé
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mahé vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahé and Lisbon differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,773 vs $2,202 including rent). Mahé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $853 in Mahé versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,773 per month in Mahé versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,773 in Mahé versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahé but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mahé 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, Mahé 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 Mahé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.