Cost of Living Comparison Between Mindelo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mindelo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $405 in Mindelo versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $935 in Mindelo versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,466 in Mindelo versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Mindelo costs roughly 83% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mindelo is 71% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.45 CVE 899

$17.30 €14.93

-45.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 CVE 5,423

$63.3 €54.6

-9.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

Cappuccino

$1.14 CVE 109

$3.19 €2.75

-64.26%

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

$1.30 CVE 124

$2.45 €2.11

-46.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CVE 97.8

$1.76 €1.52

-41.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 CVE 269

$3.59 €3.10

-21.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CVE 155

$3.39 €2.93

-51.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 CVE 150

$1.24 €1.07

27.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 CVE 113

$1.98 €1.71

-39.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 CVE 79.0

$1.52 €1.31

-45.39%

Eggs

$2.64 CVE 252

$4.04 €3.49

-34.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.15 CVE 1,538

$13.54 €11.68

19.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.19 CVE 1,732

$18.25 €15.75

-0.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 CVE 220

$2.29 €1.98

0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CVE 194

$1.74 €1.50

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 CVE 276

$1.86 €1.60

55.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 CVE 294

$2.63 €2.27

17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 CVE 76.9

$1.92 €1.65

-57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 CVE 168

$2.09 €1.81

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 CVE 103

$1.44 €1.24

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 CVE 74.9

$0.84 €0.73

-5.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 CVE 489

$6.78 €5.85

-24.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 CVE 787

$5.71 €4.93

44.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CVE 187

$1.38 €1.19

42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CVE 195

$2.22 €1.91

-7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 CVE 40.14

$2.40 €2.07

-82.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 CVE 3,045

$46.78 €40.37

-31.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 CVE 148

$4.17 €3.60

-62.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CVE 152

$1.14 €0.98

40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.69 CVE 1,018

$17.68 €15.26

-39.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 CVE 164

$2.32 €2.01

-25.86%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

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

$41.4K €35.8K

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

$170 €147

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

$19.34 €16.69

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.23 CVE 307

$19.90 €17.17

-83.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

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

$717 €619

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 CVE 35.6K

$2,985 €2,575

-87.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 CVE 24.6K

$1,992 €1,719

-87.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

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

Last update for Mindelo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $57.0 in Mindelo vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $283 per month, with Mindelo 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

Mindelo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mindelo and Lisbon differ by about 472% in total monthly costs ($405 vs $2,316 including rent). Mindelo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $607 in Mindelo and $3,474 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $405 per month in Mindelo versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 472% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $405 in Mindelo versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mindelo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mindelo 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, Mindelo 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 Mindelo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 472% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.