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: $992 in Phoenix versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,549 in Phoenix versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,106 in Phoenix versus $4,411 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 26% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 MUR 319

$15.91 €13.69

-57.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.77 MUR 2,068

$64.8 €55.7

-32.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 MUR 306

$10.51 €9.04

-38.34%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MUR 122

$2.87 €2.47

-10.45%

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

$0.96 MUR 45.57

$2.24 €1.93

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MUR 26.15

$1.50 €1.29

-63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 MUR 100

$3.49 €3.00

-39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 MUR 125

$3.88 €3.34

-31.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MUR 68.1

$1.14 €0.98

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.80

$1.75 €1.51

-62.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 62.6

$1.76 €1.51

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.35 MUR 111

$3.22 €2.77

-27.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 MUR 459

$13.49 €11.61

-27.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 MUR 285

$7.91 €6.81

-23.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 MUR 491

$15.87 €13.65

-34.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 94.4

$2.31 €1.99

-13.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 MUR 93.8

$1.70 €1.46

17.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.8

$2.01 €1.73

-25.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 MUR 123

$2.46 €2.12

6.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.61

$1.84 €1.59

-44.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.24

$2.00 €1.72

-53.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 MUR 39.30

$1.93 €1.66

-56.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MUR 25.35

$0.79 €0.68

-31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 MUR 288

$6.61 €5.68

-7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 MUR 405

$5.72 €4.92

49.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 MUR 85.4

$1.37 €1.17

32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 MUR 99.3

$2.97 €2.56

-29.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.97

$2.37 €2.04

-58.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MUR 202

$4.29 €3.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 MUR 124

$0.82 €0.70

220.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.48 MUR 731

$18.30 €15.74

-15.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MUR 73.1

$2.06 €1.78

-24.76%

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

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

$34.3K €29.5K

5.62%

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

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

$39.3K €33.8K

-27.30%

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

$49.50 MUR 2,339

$148 €127

-66.52%

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

$18.63 MUR 880

$20.52 €17.65

-9.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.78 MUR 1,502

$39.61 €34.08

-19.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.37 MUR 1,813

$47.85 €41.16

-19.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 MUR 280

$9.18 €7.90

-35.40%

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

$151 MUR 7,133

$614 €528

-75.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,881 MUR 183.4K

$16.0K €13.8K

-75.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.60 MUR 2,343

$105 €90.0

-52.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 MUR 2,067

$42.06 €36.18

4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MUR 3,947

$94.0 €80.8

-11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MUR 3,752

$120 €103

-33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 MUR 26.1K

$1,628 €1,400

-66.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 MUR 18.3K

$1,255 €1,080

-69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 MUR 41.4K

$3,030 €2,607

-71.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 MUR 28.2K

$2,020 €1,738

-70.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 MUR 44.9K

$1,603 €1,379

-40.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

3.81

64.04%

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

Last update for Phoenix: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Phoenix and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 69% 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: $44.00 in Phoenix vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $269 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 123% in total monthly costs ($992 vs $2,210 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 69% less. 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: $552 in Phoenix versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $992 per month in Phoenix versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $992 in Phoenix versus $2,210 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 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.