Cost of Living Comparison Between Marathon and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Marathon and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,305 in Marathon versus $2,322 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,316 in Marathon versus $3,409 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,327 in Marathon versus $4,496 in Lisbon.

Living in Marathon costs roughly 1% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marathon 68% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 CA$23.04

$17.10 €14.63

-2.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 CA$87.5

$64.1 €54.8

-0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 CA$14.09

$11.71 €10.02

-12.72%

Cappuccino

$3.31 CA$4.56

$3.14 €2.69

5.41%

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

$1.81 CA$2.49

$2.51 €2.14

-27.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.42

$1.66 €1.42

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 CA$7.87

$3.51 €3.01

62.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CA$8.45

$3.37 €2.88

81.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.83

$1.16 €0.99

76.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.59

$2.02 €1.73

29.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.69

$1.58 €1.35

115.19%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.75

$4.05 €3.46

-14.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 CA$13.78

$12.81 €10.96

-21.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.43 CA$15.75

$8.02 €6.86

42.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 CA$20.16

$17.03 €14.57

-14.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.37

$2.38 €2.03

63.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.85

$1.83 €1.57

-26.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.10

$1.99 €1.71

85.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.43

$2.67 €2.28

47.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.42

$1.90 €1.63

30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$2.99

$1.97 €1.69

10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 CA$3.37

$1.43 €1.23

70.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.20

$0.91 €0.78

75.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.57 CA$20.07

$6.82 €5.84

113.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 CA$17.74

$5.73 €4.90

124.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CA$3.76

$1.33 €1.14

105.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CA$4.49

$2.13 €1.83

53.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 CA$3.49

$2.40 €2.05

5.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 CA$93.3

$45.94 €39.30

47.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.03

$4.25 €3.63

-31.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.77

$1.11 €0.95

15.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.91 CA$30.19

$17.99 €15.39

21.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 CA$1.38

$2.20 €1.88

-54.55%

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

$29.6K CA$40.8K

$35.2K €30.1K

-15.94%

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

$16.9K CA$23.3K

$40.0K €34.2K

-57.77%

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

$141 CA$194

$171 €146

-17.77%

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

$40.36 CA$55.6

$19.61 €16.78

105.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 CA$77.6

$33.19 €28.39

69.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.29 CA$50.0

$47.96 €41.02

-24.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.65 CA$22.93

$19.88 €17.01

-16.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.34 CA$15.62

$10.12 €8.66

12.06%

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

$807 CA$1,112

$700 €599

15.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.3K

$17.4K €14.8K

-23.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 CA$73.9

$109 €93.4

-50.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.36 CA$54.2

$47.84 €40.92

-17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 CA$121

$106 €90.9

-17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$145

$126 €108

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 CA$1,807

$1,708 €1,461

-23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 CA$1,592

$1,265 €1,082

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 CA$2,785

$2,973 €2,543

-32.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 CA$2,441

$2,000 €1,711

-11.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,359 CA$6,006

$8,013 €6,855

-45.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 CA$4,401

$4,525 €3,871

-29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,803 CA$2,484

$1,663 €1,422

8.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

3.73

25.47%

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

Last update for Marathon: August 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,312 in Marathon and $1,708 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marathon pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Marathon vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $277, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Marathon vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marathon and Lisbon differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,305 vs $2,322 including rent). Marathon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Marathon, 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: $1,312 in Marathon versus $1,708 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $807 in Marathon versus $700 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,305 in Marathon versus $2,322 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Marathon but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Marathon 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, Marathon 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 Marathon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.