Cost of Living Comparison Between Merignac and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Merignac and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,807 in Merignac versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,791 in Merignac versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,775 in Merignac versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Merignac costs roughly 20% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merignac 34% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.17

$15.94 €13.82

9.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €59.2

$63.4 €54.9

7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.05

$10.38 €9.00

11.75%

Cappuccino

$3.40 €2.95

$2.79 €2.42

21.86%

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

$2.74 €2.37

$2.34 €2.03

17.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.57 €1.36

8.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 €7.00

$3.43 €2.97

135.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.06

$3.91 €3.39

49.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.08 €0.93

19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.77 €1.53

19.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 €2.68

$1.71 €1.48

80.70%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.68

$3.15 €2.73

34.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.04

$13.68 €11.86

10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.64 €12.69

$8.01 €6.94

82.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.57 €16.09

$15.52 €13.45

19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.77

$2.29 €1.99

39.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.64 €1.42

37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 €2.85

$1.94 €1.68

69.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.12

$2.51 €2.18

43.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.79 €1.55

34.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 €2.45

$2.01 €1.74

40.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.97 €1.70

-7.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$0.84 €0.73

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.48 €11.68

$6.79 €5.88

98.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 €8.09

$5.67 €4.92

64.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.49

$1.39 €1.20

189.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.70

$3.02 €2.61

3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.27 €1.97

-15.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.02 €42.48

$45.44 €39.38

7.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 €2.66

$4.29 €3.72

-28.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.85 €0.74

18.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.12 €34.77

$18.28 €15.84

119.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.99 €1.72

0.50%

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

$37.0K €32.1K

$35.0K €30.4K

5.65%

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

$36.0K €31.2K

$39.5K €34.3K

-8.97%

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

$189 €164

$146 €127

29.22%

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

$22.16 €19.21

$20.45 €17.72

8.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.05 €27.78

$38.98 €33.78

-17.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.12 €33.04

$48.98 €42.46

-22.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 €15.66

$18.83 €16.32

-4.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 €12.24

$9.52 €8.25

48.42%

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

$850 €737

$608 €527

39.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,444 €8,185

$16.5K €14.3K

-42.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.8

$104 €90.0

6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.56 €39.48

$42.12 €36.50

8.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 €82.6

$92.2 €79.9

3.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €125

$120 €104

19.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 €659

$1,621 €1,405

-53.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 €538

$1,268 €1,099

-51.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 €1,182

$3,048 €2,642

-55.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €933

$2,009 €1,741

-46.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,660 €4,039

$7,663 €6,641

-39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,556 €3,082

$4,329 €3,752

-17.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.81

-2.62%

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

Last update for Merignac: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $761 in Merignac and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Merignac vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 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

Merignac vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merignac and Lisbon differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,807 vs $2,263 including rent). Merignac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,711 in Merignac 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: $761 in Merignac versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $850 in Merignac versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,807 in Merignac versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merignac but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Merignac 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, Merignac 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 Merignac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.