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: $792 in Sale versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,237 in Sale versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,682 in Sale versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Sale costs roughly 64% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sale is 41% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 MAD 42.37

$16.17 €13.81

-71.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 MAD 305

$64.6 €55.1

-49.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MAD 61.2

$10.38 €8.86

-36.32%

Cappuccino

$2.06 MAD 19.08

$2.77 €2.37

-25.63%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.85

$2.25 €1.92

-72.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.70

$1.57 €1.34

-74.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 MAD 50.1

$3.49 €2.98

55.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 MAD 38.30

$4.00 €3.42

3.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 MAD 8.91

$1.08 €0.93

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MAD 5.06

$1.74 €1.49

-68.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MAD 18.06

$1.74 €1.48

12.07%

Eggs

$1.99 MAD 18.39

$3.18 €2.71

-37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 MAD 120

$13.43 €11.47

-3.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 MAD 55.5

$7.99 €6.83

-24.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 MAD 108

$16.09 €13.74

-27.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 MAD 13.90

$2.28 €1.95

-34.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MAD 12.44

$1.72 €1.47

-22.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.33

$1.94 €1.66

-53.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 MAD 7.82

$2.54 €2.17

-66.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.37

$1.83 €1.56

-56.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.31

$2.04 €1.74

-61.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MAD 3.94

$1.98 €1.69

-78.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MAD 5.91

$0.85 €0.73

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.30

$6.85 €5.85

-36.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 MAD 66.0

$5.78 €4.93

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 24.15

$1.37 €1.17

90.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MAD 23.55

$2.90 €2.48

-12.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MAD 5.21

$2.28 €1.95

-75.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.44 MAD 226

$46.84 €40.00

-47.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.88

$4.08 €3.48

-87.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.81

$0.82 €0.70

-36.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MAD 41.37

$18.27 €15.60

-75.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MAD 14.76

$2.01 €1.71

-20.40%

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

$37.2K MAD 344.1K

$35.3K €30.1K

5.49%

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

$29.9K MAD 277.0K

$38.5K €32.9K

-22.19%

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

$33.03 MAD 305

$145 €124

-77.28%

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

$10.91 MAD 101

$20.96 €17.90

-47.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 MAD 420

$40.05 €34.21

13.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.25 MAD 132

$48.79 €41.66

-70.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 MAD 219

$18.69 €15.97

26.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MAD 59.9

$9.06 €7.74

-28.48%

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

$112 MAD 1,037

$607 €518

-81.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,300 MAD 58.3K

$16.3K €13.9K

-61.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.36 MAD 392

$105 €89.4

-59.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.69 MAD 460

$40.95 €34.97

21.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MAD 987

$93.6 €79.9

13.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 MAD 927

$119 €101

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MAD 2,620

$1,604 €1,370

-82.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,617

$1,236 €1,055

-85.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MAD 4,631

$3,046 €2,601

-83.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MAD 2,805

$2,057 €1,756

-85.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,201 MAD 11.1K

$7,709 €6,583

-84.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$852 MAD 7,882

$4,266 €3,644

-80.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$410 MAD 3,792

$1,584 €1,353

-74.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

3.81

26.25%

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

Last update for Sale: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Sale and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 286% 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: $33.00 in Sale vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $271 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 181% in total monthly costs ($792 vs $2,227 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 286% 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: $283 in Sale versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Sale versus $607 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 $792 in Sale versus $2,227 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 181% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.