Cost of Living Comparison Between Margaret River and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Margaret River and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,238 in Margaret River versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,282 in Margaret River versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,326 in Margaret River versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Margaret River is roughly 1% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Margaret River 67% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 A$22.23

$15.91 €13.69

0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$109

$64.8 €55.7

21.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 A$14.37

$10.51 €9.04

-1.90%

Cappuccino

$3.65 A$5.09

$2.87 €2.47

27.18%

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

$2.58 A$3.59

$2.24 €1.93

15.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.76

$1.50 €1.29

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 A$10.70

$3.49 €3.00

120.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 A$8.88

$3.88 €3.34

64.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 A$1.96

$1.14 €0.98

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 A$3.42

$1.75 €1.51

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.71

$1.76 €1.51

10.23%

Eggs

$4.60 A$6.41

$3.22 €2.77

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.07

$13.49 €11.61

-35.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$11.92

$7.91 €6.81

8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.59 A$18.94

$15.87 €13.65

-14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 A$4.86

$2.31 €1.99

51.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.03

$1.70 €1.46

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.94

$2.01 €1.73

40.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 A$6.57

$2.46 €2.12

91.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.40

$1.84 €1.59

32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 A$2.39

$2.00 €1.72

-14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 A$2.66

$1.93 €1.66

-1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.02

$0.79 €0.68

83.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.16 A$44.81

$6.61 €5.68

386.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 A$17.99

$5.72 €4.92

125.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 A$5.40

$1.37 €1.17

183.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 A$5.93

$2.97 €2.56

43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 A$3.73

$2.37 €2.04

13.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 A$91.3

$45.56 €39.19

43.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 A$5.45

$4.29 €3.69

-8.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 A$3.04

$0.82 €0.70

165.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.46 A$68.9

$18.30 €15.74

170.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.57

$2.06 €1.78

-45.15%

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

$28.6K A$39.8K

$34.3K €29.5K

-16.71%

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

$24.2K A$33.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

-38.31%

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

$156 A$218

$148 €127

5.62%

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

$28.53 A$39.76

$20.52 €17.65

39.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 A$75.7

$39.61 €34.08

37.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 A$67.5

$47.85 €41.16

1.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 A$22.28

$18.92 €16.28

-15.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.58 A$23.10

$9.18 €7.90

80.61%

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

$1,772 A$2,470

$614 €528

188.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$16.8K

$16.0K €13.8K

-24.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 A$98.8

$105 €90.0

-32.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 A$66.0

$42.06 €36.18

12.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$146

$94.0 €80.8

11.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$145

$120 €103

-13.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 A$1,775

$1,628 €1,400

-21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 A$1,509

$1,255 €1,080

-13.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 A$2,842

$3,030 €2,607

-32.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 A$2,378

$2,020 €1,738

-15.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,829 A$9,516

$7,800 €6,709

-12.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,781 A$6,662

$4,273 €3,675

11.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,003 A$4,185

$1,603 €1,379

87.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

3.81

68.50%

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

Last update for Margaret River: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,274 in Margaret River and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Margaret River 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: $79.0 in Margaret River vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $269 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

Margaret River vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Margaret River and Lisbon differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,238 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Margaret River pays 87% 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: $1,274 in Margaret River versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,772 in Margaret River versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Margaret River. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,238 in Margaret River, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Margaret River. 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, Margaret River 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 Margaret River. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.