Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,960 in Montpellier versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,922 in Montpellier versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Montpellier versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Montpellier costs roughly 11% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montpellier 46% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.88

$15.91 €13.69

8.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €48.92

$64.8 €55.7

-12.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 €11.24

$10.51 €9.04

24.36%

Cappuccino

$3.72 €3.20

$2.87 €2.47

29.62%

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

$2.72 €2.34

$2.24 €1.93

21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.50 €1.29

27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.09

$3.49 €3.00

69.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.87

$3.88 €3.34

15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.14 €0.98

19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.75 €1.51

70.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.25

$1.76 €1.51

48.86%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.60

$3.22 €2.77

30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.08 €16.41

$13.49 €11.61

41.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.47 €13.31

$7.91 €6.81

95.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.43 €22.74

$15.87 €13.65

66.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.31 €1.99

37.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.70 €1.46

34.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.01 €1.73

23.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.33

$2.46 €2.12

57.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.84 €1.59

28.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.00 €1.72

32.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.93 €1.66

-18.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$0.79 €0.68

-26.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 €12.08

$6.61 €5.68

112.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €6.99

$5.72 €4.92

41.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.68

$1.37 €1.17

127.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.27

$2.97 €2.56

27.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.55

$2.37 €2.04

-23.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.41 €14.98

$45.56 €39.19

-61.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 €4.37

$4.29 €3.69

18.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.36

$0.82 €0.70

93.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.35 €28.69

$18.30 €15.74

82.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.06 €1.78

-1.46%

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

$37.5K €32.2K

$34.3K €29.5K

9.33%

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

$38.0K €32.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

-3.19%

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

$190 €164

$148 €127

28.82%

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

$28.11 €24.18

$20.52 €17.65

36.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.06 €30.16

$39.61 €34.08

-11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.36 €33.00

$47.85 €41.16

-19.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €25.25

$18.92 €16.28

55.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 €12.17

$9.18 €7.90

54.14%

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

$770 €662

$614 €528

25.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,169 €7,027

$16.0K €13.8K

-49.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.4

$105 €90.0

-1.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €38.25

$42.06 €36.18

5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.9

$94.0 €80.8

14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 €153

$120 €103

48.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €719

$1,628 €1,400

-48.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 €647

$1,255 €1,080

-40.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 €1,172

$3,030 €2,607

-55.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €959

$2,020 €1,738

-44.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,444

$7,800 €6,709

-33.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,116 €3,541

$4,273 €3,675

-3.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,784 €2,394

$1,603 €1,379

73.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.81

-4.46%

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

Last update for Montpellier: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Montpellier and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montpellier pays 74% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Montpellier vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $408 vs $269, 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

Montpellier vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier and Lisbon differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,960 vs $2,210 including rent). Montpellier is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Montpellier pays 74% more on average, 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: $836 in Montpellier versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $770 in Montpellier versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 52% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,960 in Montpellier versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montpellier but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Montpellier 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, Montpellier 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 Montpellier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.