Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,120 in Medias versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,701 in Medias versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,283 in Medias versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Medias costs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medias is 17% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.17 RON 55.1

$15.94 €13.73

-23.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 RON 231

$63.4 €54.6

-19.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 35.50

$10.38 €8.95

-24.37%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$2.79 €2.40

26.52%

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

$1.91 RON 8.66

$2.34 €2.01

-18.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 RON 9.13

$1.57 €1.35

28.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 RON 14.88

$3.43 €2.95

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 RON 15.30

$3.91 €3.37

-13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.32

$1.08 €0.93

29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.90

$1.77 €1.52

-25.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.08

$1.71 €1.47

4.68%

Eggs

$3.29 RON 14.90

$3.15 €2.71

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 RON 39.89

$13.68 €11.79

-35.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 RON 31.49

$8.01 €6.90

-13.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 RON 54.4

$15.52 €13.37

-22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.32

$2.29 €1.98

-48.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.42

$1.64 €1.41

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.31

$1.94 €1.67

-16.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 RON 11.26

$2.51 €2.17

-0.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.65

$1.79 €1.54

-42.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$2.01 €1.73

-46.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$1.97 €1.69

-51.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.84 €0.73

-2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 RON 25.85

$6.79 €5.85

-15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 RON 40.17

$5.67 €4.89

56.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 4.96

$1.39 €1.20

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.48

$3.02 €2.60

-45.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$2.27 €1.95

-68.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.52 RON 88.3

$45.44 €39.15

-57.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.45

$4.29 €3.70

-82.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 RON 3.48

$0.85 €0.73

-9.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.39

$18.28 €15.75

-62.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$1.99 €1.71

-25.13%

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

$28.5K RON 129.0K

$35.0K €30.2K

-18.62%

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

$28.1K RON 126.9K

$39.5K €34.1K

-29.04%

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

$167 RON 756

$146 €126

14.26%

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

$8.30 RON 37.54

$20.45 €17.62

-59.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.15 RON 41.39

$38.98 €33.58

-76.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.75 RON 184

$48.98 €42.21

-16.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.12 RON 86.5

$18.83 €16.22

1.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 RON 30.89

$9.52 €8.21

-28.26%

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

$453 RON 2,051

$608 €524

-25.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,526 RON 29.5K

$16.5K €14.2K

-60.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 RON 300

$104 €89.5

-36.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 RON 192

$42.12 €36.29

0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 RON 439

$92.2 €79.5

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 RON 449

$120 €103

-17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 RON 1,774

$1,621 €1,397

-75.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RON 1,338

$1,268 €1,092

-76.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,687

$3,048 €2,626

-80.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 RON 1,981

$2,009 €1,731

-78.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,729 RON 7,819

$7,663 €6,602

-77.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 RON 5,744

$4,329 €3,730

-70.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

3.81

102.10%

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

Last update for Medias: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Medias and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Medias vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $269 per month, with Medias 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

Medias vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias and Lisbon differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,120 vs $2,263 including rent). Medias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,679 in Medias and $3,394 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $392 in Medias versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Medias versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,120 in Medias versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Medias 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, Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.