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: $1,128 in Medias versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,718 in Medias versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,307 in Medias versus $4,307 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 15% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 RON 56.3

$15.75 €13.64

-21.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 RON 228

$63.5 €55.0

-20.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 RON 36.97

$10.45 €9.05

-22.20%

Cappuccino

$3.40 RON 15.46

$2.91 €2.52

16.84%

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

$1.90 RON 8.66

$2.29 €1.98

-17.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 RON 9.40

$1.50 €1.30

38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 14.54

$3.56 €3.09

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.27

$3.96 €3.43

-15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 RON 6.13

$1.08 €0.94

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 RON 6.10

$1.76 €1.53

-23.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.11

$1.70 €1.47

4.71%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.25

$3.25 €2.81

3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 RON 38.31

$13.25 €11.47

-36.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 30.99

$7.70 €6.67

-11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 RON 54.5

$15.77 €13.66

-24.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.39

$2.28 €1.97

-47.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.51

$1.66 €1.43

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.30

$2.02 €1.75

-20.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 RON 11.06

$2.47 €2.14

-1.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$1.79 €1.55

-44.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.70

$2.07 €1.79

-50.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 3.94

$1.97 €1.71

-55.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.63

$0.83 €0.72

-3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 RON 27.13

$6.55 €5.68

-8.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.29

$5.57 €4.82

39.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.18

$1.33 €1.15

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.50

$3.01 €2.60

-45.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.29

$2.27 €1.97

-68.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.59 RON 89.1

$46.35 €40.14

-57.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 RON 3.22

$4.23 €3.66

-83.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.68

$0.85 €0.73

-4.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 RON 31.97

$18.83 €16.31

-62.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.90

$2.02 €1.75

-24.75%

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

$28.2K RON 128.1K

$35.0K €30.3K

-19.43%

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

$27.5K RON 125.0K

$39.6K €34.3K

-30.64%

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

$162 RON 734

$148 €128

9.18%

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

$8.03 RON 36.49

$20.52 €17.77

-60.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.94 RON 40.63

$39.52 €34.23

-77.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.32 RON 188

$48.17 €41.72

-14.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 RON 87.0

$18.39 €15.92

4.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 RON 31.88

$9.10 €7.88

-22.97%

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

$452 RON 2,055

$615 €532

-26.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,675 RON 30.3K

$16.3K €14.1K

-59.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 RON 309

$102 €88.0

-33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 RON 199

$42.09 €36.45

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 RON 434

$92.3 €79.9

3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 456

$122 €106

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 RON 1,771

$1,612 €1,396

-75.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,302

$1,254 €1,086

-77.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 RON 2,654

$3,069 €2,658

-80.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 RON 2,017

$2,037 €1,764

-78.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,806 RON 8,210

$7,751 €6,712

-76.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,280 RON 5,821

$4,286 €3,712

-70.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $389 in Medias and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Medias vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $267 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 ($1,128 vs $2,280 including rent). Medias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,692 in Medias and $3,420 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: $389 in Medias versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $452 in Medias versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,128 in Medias versus $2,280 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.