Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Msida: $1,805 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Msida
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Msida Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Msida

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,805

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Msida and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Msida and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,805 in Msida versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Msida $1,805
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,670 in Msida versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Msida $2,670
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,536 in Msida versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Msida $3,536
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Msida costs roughly 18% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Msida 33% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.12

$16.65 €14.92

-32.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 €44.88

$61.7 €55.3

-18.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 €9.61

$11.36 €10.18

-5.63%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €2.03

$2.97 €2.66

-23.91%

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

$2.26 €2.02

$2.29 €2.05

-1.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.74 €1.56

-36.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.12

$3.40 €3.05

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.09

$3.31 €2.97

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.16 €1.04

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.91 €1.71

-29.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 €4.00

$1.51 €1.36

195.36%

Eggs

$2.65 €2.37

$4.02 €3.60

-34.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 €7.60

$12.94 €11.59

-34.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.44 €9.35

$7.77 €6.97

34.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 €16.20

$17.76 €15.92

1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.82

$2.30 €2.06

85.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$1.73 €1.55

64.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$1.86 €1.66

98.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.97

$2.59 €2.32

28.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.82 €1.63

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.97 €1.76

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.47 €1.32

59.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.72 €0.65

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.89

$6.58 €5.90

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 €7.24

$5.61 €5.02

44.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.54

$1.36 €1.22

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.14 €1.91

12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.33 €2.09

-6.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 €4.88

$3.85 €3.45

41.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.07 €0.96

102.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.80 €24.02

$16.46 €14.75

62.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.20 €1.97

-32.27%

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

$37.1K €33.3K

$34.2K €30.6K

8.53%

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

$39.7K €35.6K

$38.7K €34.7K

2.46%

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

$84.8 €76.0

$161 €144

-47.41%

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

$25.53 €22.88

$18.41 €16.50

38.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.62 €24.75

$32.74 €29.34

-15.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €50.5

$44.55 €39.92

26.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.93

$9.60 €8.60

3.75%

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

$363 €325

$668 €598

-45.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,813

$17.6K €15.8K

-37.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €77.1

$102 €91.4

-15.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 €35.70

$44.46 €39.85

-10.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €88.1

$98.5 €88.3

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 €70.4

$124 €111

-36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €939

$1,608 €1,441

-34.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 €821

$1,190 €1,066

-22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 €1,634

$2,812 €2,520

-35.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 €1,330

$2,013 €1,804

-26.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,734 €2,450

$1,575 €1,411

73.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

3.85

-24.68%

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

Last update for Msida: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Msida

$917 50.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 29.8% $273

Groceries & Markets

Msida

$320 17.7%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 14.8% $47

Eating Out

Msida

$193 10.7%

Lisbon

$243 11% 25.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Msida

$138 7.6%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 54% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Msida

$136 7.6%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 21.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Msida

$76 4.2%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 16.4% $13

Getting Around

Msida

$25 * 1.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 152% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,048 in Msida and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Msida 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: $50 in Msida vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Msida

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

1 h behind Msida

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Msida Lisbon 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Msida
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Msida vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,805 in Msida and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Msida is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Msida, 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: $1,048 in Msida versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,805 per month in Msida versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Msida is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Msida gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Msida and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.