Cost of Living Comparison Between Phoenix and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Phoenix and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,046 in Phoenix versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Phoenix versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,348 in Phoenix versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Phoenix costs roughly 55% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phoenix is 24% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.97 MUR 281

$17.30 €14.93

-65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.72 MUR 1,775

$63.3 €54.6

-40.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 MUR 334

$11.39 €9.83

-37.75%

Cappuccino

$2.62 MUR 123

$3.19 €2.75

-17.87%

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

$1.13 MUR 53.1

$2.45 €2.11

-53.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MUR 30.98

$1.76 €1.52

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MUR 127

$3.59 €3.10

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 MUR 177

$3.39 €2.93

10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MUR 70.6

$1.24 €1.07

20.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MUR 34.57

$1.98 €1.71

-63.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MUR 54.3

$1.52 €1.31

-24.34%

Eggs

$2.44 MUR 115

$4.04 €3.49

-39.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 MUR 240

$13.54 €11.68

-62.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 MUR 304

$8.39 €7.24

-23.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.36 MUR 534

$18.25 €15.75

-37.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MUR 102

$2.29 €1.98

-5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 MUR 112

$1.74 €1.50

36.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.6

$1.86 €1.60

-21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 MUR 142

$2.63 €2.27

14.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.96

$1.92 €1.65

-47.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.72

$2.09 €1.81

-54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 MUR 34.36

$1.44 €1.24

-49.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MUR 41.56

$0.84 €0.73

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 MUR 289

$6.78 €5.85

-9.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 MUR 397

$5.71 €4.93

47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MUR 76.7

$1.38 €1.19

18.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MUR 124

$2.22 €1.91

18.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MUR 49.20

$2.40 €2.07

-56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.49 MUR 494

$46.78 €40.37

-77.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 MUR 195

$4.17 €3.60

-0.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 MUR 145

$1.14 €0.98

171.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 MUR 1,143

$17.68 €15.26

37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MUR 62.9

$2.32 €2.01

-42.24%

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

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

$35.3K €30.5K

-12.09%

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

$32.8K MUR 1.5M

$41.4K €35.8K

-20.80%

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

$41.36 MUR 1,946

$170 €147

-75.72%

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

$14.09 MUR 663

$19.34 €16.69

-27.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.61 MUR 1,393

$33.64 €29.03

-11.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.71 MUR 1,680

$48.10 €41.50

-25.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 MUR 303

$9.92 €8.56

-35.18%

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

$134 MUR 6,295

$717 €619

-81.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,871 MUR 370.3K

$17.5K €15.1K

-54.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 MUR 3,290

$105 €90.4

-33.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 MUR 3,242

$46.95 €40.51

46.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MUR 5,418

$103 €89.2

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.2 MUR 3,115

$124 €107

-46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 MUR 27.6K

$1,677 €1,447

-64.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 MUR 19.0K

$1,271 €1,097

-68.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 MUR 52.6K

$2,985 €2,575

-62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 MUR 39.5K

$1,992 €1,719

-57.85%

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)

$945 MUR 44.5K

$1,583 €1,366

-40.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

3.79

67.28%

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

Last update for Phoenix: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $587 in Phoenix and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Phoenix vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $283 per month, with Phoenix 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

Phoenix vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phoenix and Lisbon differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,046 vs $2,316 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $587 in Phoenix versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $134 in Phoenix versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,046 in Phoenix versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phoenix but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Phoenix 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, Phoenix 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 Phoenix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.