Cost of Living Comparison Between Mortsel and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mortsel and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,084 in Mortsel versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,195 in Mortsel versus $3,289 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,306 in Mortsel versus $4,369 in Lisbon.

Living in Mortsel costs roughly 6% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mortsel 56% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.73

$15.71 €13.81

50.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €101

$62.9 €55.3

82.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 €11.32

$10.53 €9.26

22.32%

Cappuccino

$4.11 €3.61

$2.88 €2.54

42.71%

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

$3.44 €3.03

$2.25 €1.98

52.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.80

$1.56 €1.37

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.84

$3.39 €2.98

62.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €4.04

$3.90 €3.43

17.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.08 €0.95

25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.37

$1.73 €1.52

56.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.10

$1.76 €1.55

35.80%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.67

$3.16 €2.78

31.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.26 €15.17

$13.29 €11.68

29.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 €10.37

$7.87 €6.92

49.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.73 €19.10

$15.84 €13.92

37.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.57

$2.40 €2.11

22.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$1.70 €1.50

37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.05

$2.03 €1.78

14.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.80

$2.52 €2.21

26.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.67

$1.86 €1.63

2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$2.06 €1.81

3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.16

$2.00 €1.76

-34.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.76

$0.78 €0.69

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.76 €11.22

$6.65 €5.84

91.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 €7.91

$5.78 €5.08

55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.78

$1.38 €1.22

46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.05

$3.02 €2.65

-22.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 €2.30

$2.33 €2.05

12.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 €48.95

$45.45 €39.96

22.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 €5.15

$4.08 €3.58

43.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.22

$0.80 €0.70

216.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.35 €40.75

$18.65 €16.39

148.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.67

$2.00 €1.76

-5.00%

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

$33.9K €29.8K

$35.4K €31.1K

-4.20%

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

$33.3K €29.3K

$39.1K €34.3K

-14.71%

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

$228 €200

$150 €132

51.63%

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

$23.13 €20.34

$20.55 €18.07

12.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 €44.98

$39.45 €34.68

29.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.11 €33.50

$48.06 €42.25

-20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.96 €14.91

$18.70 €16.44

-9.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 €13.04

$9.30 €8.18

59.57%

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

$578 €509

$628 €552

-7.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €12.1K

$16.5K €14.5K

-16.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €99.0

$102 €89.3

10.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.90 €43.87

$41.55 €36.52

20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.2

$92.5 €81.3

13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €145

$123 €108

34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 €806

$1,628 €1,431

-43.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 €672

$1,233 €1,084

-38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,204

$3,126 €2,748

-56.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €972

$2,058 €1,809

-46.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,604 €3,168

$7,762 €6,824

-53.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,024 €2,658

$4,386 €3,856

-31.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,406 €2,115

$1,621 €1,425

48.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.81

-8.14%

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

Last update for Mortsel: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $917 in Mortsel and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mortsel pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $115 in Mortsel vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 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

Mortsel vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mortsel and Lisbon differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,084 vs $2,210 including rent). Mortsel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Mortsel, 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: $917 in Mortsel versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $578 in Mortsel versus $628 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,084 in Mortsel versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mortsel but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mortsel 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, Mortsel 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 Mortsel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.