Cost of Living Comparison Between Mestre and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mestre and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,876 in Mestre versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,959 in Mestre versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,043 in Mestre versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Mestre costs roughly 17% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mestre 36% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.15 €12.20

$17.55 €15.13

-19.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €78.8

$64.5 €55.6

41.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.11

$11.65 €10.04

10.64%

Cappuccino

$2.22 €1.91

$3.26 €2.81

-31.90%

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

$3.11 €2.68

$2.49 €2.15

24.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.67 €1.44

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.05

$3.47 €2.99

102.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 €4.79

$3.58 €3.08

55.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.18 €1.02

45.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.95 €1.68

29.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 €2.85

$1.56 €1.35

112.18%

Eggs

$3.89 €3.36

$4.01 €3.46

-2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.94 €15.47

$13.27 €11.45

35.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 €11.08

$8.42 €7.26

52.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 €17.33

$18.23 €15.72

10.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.74

$2.32 €2.00

37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.73 €1.49

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 €3.12

$1.93 €1.67

87.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.86

$2.64 €2.28

25.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.90 €1.64

5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.11 €1.82

8.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.44 €1.24

20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$0.80 €0.69

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €5.99

$7.01 €6.04

-1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 €6.15

$5.92 €5.11

20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.36 €1.18

18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.15 €1.85

-15.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.38 €2.05

-26.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.17 €37.23

$46.22 €39.86

-6.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 €4.19

$4.19 €3.61

15.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.10 €0.95

39.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.84 €28.32

$17.26 €14.88

90.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.25 €1.94

-5.33%

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

$37.3K €32.2K

$34.5K €29.7K

8.21%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$41.6K €35.9K

-10.21%

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

$217 €187

$171 €147

27.24%

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

$9.02 €7.78

$19.01 €16.39

-52.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.59 €24.65

$34.28 €29.56

-16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.18 €42.41

$49.65 €42.81

-0.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.57 €17.74

$19.51 €16.82

5.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 €10.18

$10.10 €8.71

16.93%

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

$696 €601

$699 €603

-0.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$17.8K €15.3K

-33.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 €71.3

$105 €90.2

-20.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.15

$47.97 €41.36

-27.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.6

$102 €87.8

6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 €150

$128 €111

35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 €767

$1,661 €1,433

-46.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 €597

$1,228 €1,059

-43.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 €1,288

$2,915 €2,514

-48.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,043

$2,023 €1,745

-40.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 €1,703

$8,129 €7,010

-75.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,641 €1,415

$4,635 €3,997

-64.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,969 €1,698

$1,619 €1,396

21.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

3.78

-11.64%

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

Last update for Mestre: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $890 in Mestre and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mestre pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Mestre vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $281 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

Mestre vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mestre and Lisbon differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,876 vs $2,268 including rent). Mestre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Mestre, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $890 in Mestre versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Mestre versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,876 in Mestre versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mestre but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mestre 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, Mestre 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 Mestre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.