Cost of Living Comparison Between Sale and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sale and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $666 in Sale versus $2,322 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,088 in Sale versus $3,409 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,510 in Sale versus $4,496 in Lisbon.

Living in Sale costs roughly 71% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sale is 51% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 MAD 34.11

$17.10 €14.63

-78.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.17 MAD 177

$64.1 €54.8

-70.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 MAD 69.9

$11.71 €10.02

-35.44%

Cappuccino

$1.87 MAD 17.28

$3.14 €2.69

-40.45%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.34

$2.51 €2.14

-72.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.37

$1.66 €1.42

-77.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MAD 25.22

$3.51 €3.01

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MAD 29.06

$3.37 €2.88

-6.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MAD 8.50

$1.16 €0.99

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MAD 6.07

$2.02 €1.73

-67.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 MAD 18.86

$1.58 €1.35

29.11%

Eggs

$2.01 MAD 18.53

$4.05 €3.46

-50.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 MAD 108

$12.81 €10.96

-8.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 MAD 63.0

$8.02 €6.86

-14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 MAD 119

$17.03 €14.57

-24.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 MAD 13.72

$2.38 €2.03

-37.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 11.83

$1.83 €1.57

-30.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.50

$1.99 €1.71

-53.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 8.62

$2.67 €2.28

-65.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.52

$1.90 €1.63

-62.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 7.58

$1.97 €1.69

-58.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 MAD 4.24

$1.43 €1.23

-67.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MAD 5.98

$0.91 €0.78

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MAD 37.27

$6.82 €5.84

-40.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 MAD 43.87

$5.73 €4.90

-17.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 MAD 21.03

$1.33 €1.14

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MAD 20.94

$2.13 €1.83

6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MAD 5.67

$2.40 €2.05

-74.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.08 MAD 222

$45.94 €39.30

-47.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MAD 6.80

$4.25 €3.63

-82.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.84

$1.11 €0.95

-53.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MAD 40.18

$17.99 €15.39

-75.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MAD 14.15

$2.20 €1.88

-30.45%

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

$35.2K MAD 325.2K

$35.2K €30.1K

0.04%

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

$32.2K MAD 297.7K

$40.0K €34.2K

-19.49%

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

$39.17 MAD 362

$171 €146

-77.11%

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

$10.90 MAD 101

$19.61 €16.78

-44.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.56 MAD 402

$33.19 €28.39

31.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.78 MAD 155

$47.96 €41.02

-65.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.95 MAD 397

$19.88 €17.01

116.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 MAD 50.8

$10.12 €8.66

-45.75%

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

$108 MAD 999

$700 €599

-84.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,156 MAD 56.9K

$17.4K €14.8K

-64.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.82 MAD 312

$109 €93.4

-69.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.96 MAD 452

$47.84 €40.92

2.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 MAD 696

$106 €90.9

-29.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 MAD 635

$126 €108

-45.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 MAD 1,954

$1,708 €1,461

-87.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 MAD 981

$1,265 €1,082

-91.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 MAD 3,457

$2,973 €2,543

-87.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 MAD 2,454

$2,000 €1,711

-86.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

$8,013 €6,855

-84.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 MAD 7,998

$4,525 €3,871

-80.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 MAD 5,002

$1,663 €1,422

-67.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

34.05%

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

Last update for Sale: August 16, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Sale and $1,708 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 207% 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: $19.00 in Sale vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $277 per month, with Sale 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

Sale vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sale and Lisbon differ by about 248% in total monthly costs ($666 vs $2,322 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 207% 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: $212 in Sale versus $1,708 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $108 in Sale versus $700 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $666 in Sale versus $2,322 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sale 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, Sale 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 248% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.