Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Adama

For one person, living is cheaper in Adama: $1,030 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Adama, Ethiopia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Adama
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$1,030
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Adama

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,030 in Adama, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Adama $1,030

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,702 in Adama, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Adama $1,702

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,374 in Adama, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Adama $2,374

Lisbon costs about 115% more than Adama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Adama is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$3.06 ETB 492
444.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$43.00 ETB 6,924
43.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$4.98 ETB 801
128.11%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$0.90 ETB 144
230.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.58 ETB 93.9
294.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.31 ETB 50.5
461.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$0.83 ETB 134
309.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.31 ETB 372
43.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$0.77 ETB 124
50.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.17 ETB 189
63.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.20 ETB 354
-31.36%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$1.80 ETB 290
123.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$7.35 ETB 1,184
76.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$10.09 ETB 1,625
-22.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$9.40 ETB 1,514
88.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$5.51 ETB 888
-58.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$0.69 ETB 111
150.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.14 ETB 344
-13.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$0.70 ETB 113
270.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$0.50 ETB 80.9
264.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.09 ETB 175
80.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.69 ETB 111
113.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.57 ETB 91.3
26.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$7.88 ETB 1,269
-16.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$5.78 ETB 931
-2.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$0.70 ETB 113
94.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.28 ETB 206
67.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$1.28 ETB 206
200.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.27 ETB 42.90
296.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$2.03 ETB 327
710.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.90 ETB 145
144.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$55.8K ETB 9.0M
-38.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$55.3K ETB 8.9M
-30.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$206 ETB 33.1K
-21.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$7.50 ETB 1,207
145.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$215 ETB 34.6K
-84.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$3.83 ETB 617
150.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$611 ETB 98.3K
9.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$30.5K ETB 4.9M
-42.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$32.75 ETB 5,273
211.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$72.3 ETB 11.6K
-38.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$79.9 ETB 12.9K
23.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$82.3 ETB 13.2K
50.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$352 ETB 56.7K
357.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$198 ETB 31.9K
500.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$980 ETB 157.8K
186.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$815 ETB 131.2K
147.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Adama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$98.7 ETB 15.9K
1495.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
18.5
-79.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Adama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Adama
$198 83.4% $992
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Adama
$211 22.6% $62
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Adama
$63 74.2% $180
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Adama
$428 102% $216
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Adama
$120 27.5% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Adama
$7.7 * 88% $56
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Adama
$2.6 * 95.9% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $352 in Adama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 16 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $43 in Adama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $211 – making Adama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇹 Adama
🕒 Local time
03:08 3:08 AM
06:08 6:08 AM
3 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
228,623
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.21 USD). 1 EUR = 179 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.58 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Adama 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Adama

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
Lisbon vs Adama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Adama compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $1,030 in Adama – Adama comes out roughly 53% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Adama?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,545 in Adama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Adama?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Adama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $352 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $43 in Adama. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Adama, where all-in costs run around $1,030, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Adama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Adama?
Families tend to lean toward Adama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Adama?
If budget matters most, go with Adama. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?