Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,483 in Melissia versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Melissia versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,085 in Melissia versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Melissia costs roughly 35% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melissia 8% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 €9.82

$17.59 €15.24

-35.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €54.3

$62.9 €54.5

-0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 €7.81

$11.58 €10.04

-22.19%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.60

$3.10 €2.69

33.87%

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

$2.40 €2.08

$2.49 €2.16

-3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.74 €1.51

-67.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €3.97

$3.48 €3.02

31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 €4.59

$3.44 €2.98

54.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.15 €0.99

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.91 €1.65

-20.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.51

$1.50 €1.30

93.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.44

$3.98 €3.45

28.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 €10.03

$13.29 €11.52

-12.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €8.96

$8.01 €6.94

29.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.35 €16.77

$18.04 €15.64

7.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$2.35 €2.04

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.75 €1.52

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.85 €1.61

-21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.76

$2.55 €2.21

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.84 €1.60

-36.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$2.10 €1.82

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.49 €1.29

-40.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.82 €0.71

7.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 €4.99

$7.10 €6.15

-18.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 €9.05

$5.91 €5.12

76.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.88

$1.31 €1.14

65.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.41

$2.13 €1.85

30.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.22

$2.36 €2.04

-40.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.43 €39.37

$46.62 €40.40

-2.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.05

$4.08 €3.53

14.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.14 €0.99

-7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.70 €12.74

$17.09 €14.81

-13.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.91

$2.31 €2.00

-4.76%

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

$29.0K €25.2K

$34.1K €29.6K

-14.90%

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

$24.2K €21.0K

$41.4K €35.9K

-41.43%

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

$221 €192

$169 €146

31.38%

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

$25.25 €21.88

$19.33 €16.75

30.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.52 €26.45

$33.51 €29.04

-8.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 €49.19

$48.84 €42.32

16.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.21 €25.31

$19.43 €16.84

50.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.36 €8.11

$9.57 €8.29

-2.19%

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

$503 €436

$696 €603

-27.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,608 €3,994

$17.4K €15.0K

-73.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €80.3

$105 €91.3

-11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 €32.24

$47.75 €41.38

-22.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.8

$101 €87.1

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$124 €108

6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 €466

$1,662 €1,440

-67.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 €355

$1,246 €1,080

-67.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 €648

$2,965 €2,569

-74.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 €539

$2,049 €1,775

-69.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,707 €2,346

$7,834 €6,789

-65.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 €2,022

$4,464 €3,869

-47.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,377 €1,193

$1,632 €1,414

-15.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.78

15.61%

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

Last update for Melissia: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $538 in Melissia and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 18% 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: $63.0 in Melissia vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 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

Melissia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melissia and Lisbon differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,483 vs $2,296 including rent). Melissia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Lisbon. 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: $538 in Melissia versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $503 in Melissia versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,483 in Melissia versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Melissia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Melissia 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, Melissia 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 Melissia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.