Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in Medan versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $982 in Medan versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,313 in Medan versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Medan costs roughly 71% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medan is 51% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.83 Rp 32.6K

$15.91 €13.69

-88.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.63 Rp 189.9K

$64.8 €55.7

-83.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.22 Rp 57.4K

$10.51 €9.04

-69.36%

Cappuccino

$1.80 Rp 32.1K

$2.87 €2.47

-37.28%

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

$0.40 Rp 7,122

$2.24 €1.93

-82.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,419

$1.50 €1.29

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 Rp 28.1K

$3.49 €3.00

-54.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 Rp 91.7K

$3.88 €3.34

32.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Rp 21.0K

$1.14 €0.98

3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$1.75 €1.51

-33.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$1.76 €1.51

-50.57%

Eggs

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$3.22 €2.77

-50.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 Rp 174.6K

$13.49 €11.61

-27.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 69.3K

$7.91 €6.81

-50.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 Rp 122.5K

$15.87 €13.65

-56.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

$2.31 €1.99

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 Rp 17.8K

$1.70 €1.46

-41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

$2.01 €1.73

-26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$2.46 €2.12

-61.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 Rp 13.2K

$1.84 €1.59

-59.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$2.00 €1.72

-35.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$1.93 €1.66

-76.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,201

$0.79 €0.68

-41.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 Rp 44.2K

$6.61 €5.68

-62.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 Rp 281.3K

$5.72 €4.92

175.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 Rp 24.1K

$1.37 €1.17

-1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 Rp 56.6K

$2.97 €2.56

6.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,318

$2.37 €2.04

-87.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.86 Rp 176.1K

$45.56 €39.19

-78.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 Rp 9,345

$4.29 €3.69

-87.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 Rp 3,931

$0.82 €0.70

-73.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 Rp 111.9K

$18.30 €15.74

-65.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$2.06 €1.78

-60.19%

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

$28.1K Rp 501.4M

$34.3K €29.5K

-18.10%

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

$33.8K Rp 604.3M

$39.3K €33.8K

-13.87%

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

$83.4 Rp 1.5M

$148 €127

-43.60%

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

$3.64 Rp 65.1K

$20.52 €17.65

-82.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.53 Rp 598.8K

$39.61 €34.08

-15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.40 Rp 417.8K

$47.85 €41.16

-51.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.27 Rp 129.8K

$18.92 €16.28

-61.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 Rp 63.9K

$9.18 €7.90

-61.00%

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

$126 Rp 2.3M

$614 €528

-79.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K Rp 188.8M

$16.0K €13.8K

-34.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 Rp 1.2M

$105 €90.0

-36.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.49 Rp 758.9K

$42.06 €36.18

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Rp 2.1M

$94.0 €80.8

22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 Rp 1.2M

$120 €103

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$191 Rp 3.4M

$1,628 €1,400

-88.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$1,255 €1,080

-92.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 Rp 9.7M

$3,030 €2,607

-82.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 Rp 4.1M

$2,020 €1,738

-88.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,176 Rp 21.0M

$7,800 €6,709

-84.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$567 Rp 10.1M

$4,273 €3,675

-86.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.8M

$1,603 €1,379

-86.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

3.81

142.78%

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

Last update for Medan: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $191 in Medan and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 646% 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: $11.00 in Medan vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $269 per month, with Medan 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

Medan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan and Lisbon differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($651 vs $2,210 including rent). Medan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 646% less. 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: $191 in Medan versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Medan 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 44% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $651 in Medan versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Medan 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, Medan 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.